A New Era - September 1990 by Armenian International Magazine

Seraing the Peninsula With the Finest in Automobiles Seraice Since 1960

ME.R.C.EDES,.BENZ J23 3 PACIFIC COAST H

IGHWAY, IORRANCE O 5 34. 3 3J 3

(Bctwecn Howthone

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COVER STORY

ANEW ERA

Levon Ter-Petrosyan takes office as Armenia's first nonCommunist president, as the Armenian Republic takes its

first faltering step toward democracy

i.: ir.,i-\ t..

4 INTERVIEW

ECONOMY

An Exclusive

An Interview With Abel AganbegJian and a Candid Chat With Mark Markarian

InterviewWith Gov. Deukmejian Gov. George Deukmejian reveals his desire to leave public office after 28 years

Mark Markarian and AbelAganbegian chart course for Armenia's entry into

F!LM

world market

13 PARADJANOV, notedArmenian film maker, whose

ABT:YaheFattal's creative logos are seen by millions on TY and on products of major

MONTHS IN REYIEW 32 IU

EDUCATION

prof&sion

PUBLISHERS'NOTE 2 BOOKREVIEW 46 51 3 SCIENCE LETTERS OPINION

PROFILE: Roger Tatarian, veteran newsman, brings honor to Armenians and journalism

ln INTERNATIONAL 28

corporations

talent was wasted by lack of freedom, dies at 66

ARMENIAN INTEREST$ o Lcbanon Armenians struggle to survive years of life under fire o Lost tribe of Armenians discovered livine Bedouins in Jordanian desert

tt8

17 as

Success Sfories,' Soviet Armenian immigrants take advantage of America's free enterprise 18 system and stiike it

rich

Busthess; French designers Manoukian and Kelian impress fashion

world

AlM, September 1990

A Note from the Publishers

AIM Published by AlM, Inc. EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Charles Nazarian

IlAilAGl

XG EDITOB: Vartan Oskanian

CONSULTII{G EDITOR: Haig Keropian ASSISTANT IIANAGITG EDITOR: Vatche Oknaian DIBECTOR OF Michael Nahabet

OPERATIOI{S:

SEI{lOB EDITORS:

Kevork lmizian, Ara Kalaydjian, Osheen Keshishian, Harut Sassounian, Raffi Shoubookian ASSOCIATE EDIIOR: Minas Kojaian

COPY EDITOR: HarrySquires CORRESPOI{DENTS:

Detroit: Simon Payaslian London: Ani Manoukian Paris: Khatchig Keshishian Vienna: Sebouh Baghdoyan Amman: Ara Voskian Sydney: Haig Lepedjian AIM's Consulting Editor Haig Keropian, left, with Executive Editor Charles Na.arian at AIM headquarter in Glendale, California

aig Keropian, distinguished joumalist and t'wo-term president of the Greater t os Angeles Press Club, has joined the staff of the Armenian lntemational

Magazine as consulting editor. Keropian has received many achievement awards from govemment offlrcials, educational institutions and media groups during the more than 45 years he served as the editor of several metropolitan newspapers in Califomia. His most recent award was presented to him just one week before he retired from the [.os Angeles Daily News, where he served as editor of the editorial pages. The award, presented by United Press Intemational, was for an editorial appealing for nationwide support of a campaign to restore the aging Statue of Liberty. Keropian is a personal friend and close associate of AIM's Executive Editor Charles Nazarian. Nazarian was a senior copy editor during the more than two decades that both worked at the [.os Angeles Daily News. Both men were bom in New York State and bottr served wittr honor in the United States Army during World War II. Nazarian's 55-year career began in 1934 on the editorial staff of the New York Herald Tribune. Subsequently, he has served on the news staffs of metropolitan dailies in Albany, N.Y., Philadelphia and I-os Angeles. Nazarian also won recognition from govemment, community and media groups for his dedicated commiftnent to the joumalism profession. The combined experience of these two veteran joumalists total an even 100 years, which will be reflected in funre issues of AIM. AIM's inaugural edition has met with unanimous praise from our readers, which encourages us to try even harder to give you a product that every Armenian can be proud of. Expanding our editorial staff with seasoned joumalists like Nazarian and Keropian is a major step toward that goal. We appreciate the compliments of our readers, but the best assurance for AIM's success will come from the solid support of our subscriben and advertisers. As part of a one-time introductory promotion, complimentary copies of AIM were mailed to selected regions. Of course it would be economically unfeasible to continue this, so we are urging our readers to mail the attached postage paid subscription cards, or telephone I-800-SENDAIM in order not to miss an issue. AIM's publishers are sriving to give you the highest quality magazine, bottr in appeaftmce and content, at the most reasonable rates.

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AI]ll LOGO DESIGN & GOVER ART: Vahe Fattal

AlM, September1990

Hratch

Zoian

I am tmly imp,ressed with the inaugural issue of AIM. You were able to project professionalisrn and quality tlxough fte broad variety of topics tackled and tlre overall layout. AIM is one magazine I'll be p,roud of.

MariaKhriguian Qucbec,Canada

As I sit here at 9:30 A.M., reading AIM,

remble with joy realizing tlnt happened...the birth

finally

of a long-needed

internationalmagazine. Curgmnrlations. You are aheady successfiil and your staffproves

it Sag

Congratulations! AIM proves that if 20 Armenian intellectuals can stick together, miracles can happen!

I have to thank my son Raffi for sending me a gift subscription to AIM. It's just marvelous and it is what we needed. Bravo Be patient and persistent.

just a

business, but a national responsibility. Best wishes for your success.

BerjuhiNazarian Brookeville,Maryland We like your magazine. Enclosed is a list

of our friends to whom we'd like you to send

gift subscriptions. Marie Manoogian Gr o s s e P ointe F arms, M ic hi gan

The first issue of AIM shows that its editors are capable of producing a world class publication for and about Armenians. Good Luck and best wishes. Dennis R. Papazian, Dir.

Armcnian Re s earc h C enter U niv e r sity of M ic hi gan, D earborn This just a short note, long on sincerity, to congratulate the editors of AIM for the beautifrrl format and interesting content of your magazine. With prayerful best wishes for your success. M 3. J anbazian, Exe c utiv e D ire ctor Armenian Missionary Association of America

JohnMesrobian

SimonDonikian Woodside,N.Y.

I am confident that AIM won't

LucikMelikian Harbor,NewYork

C lape I

H ill, N orth C arolina

am an 8l-year-old survivor of the Genocide. In your July issue you have not written about Turkish atnocities in my crty of Yozgat. I was 6 years old. They killed my mother, both my grandmothers, my aunt, my uncle, my 2-year-old brother. If that wasn't a Genocide, What is? ManuclGorjanian Brighton, Michigan The writer of l/rs Brilliant Connection tn the July 1990 issue of AIM must be very young to say that The Armenian presence in Anrwerp dates back to ttrc early 1950s... The Tcherkezian Brothers went there in the middle 1920s from Alexandri4 Eg;ypt, and had a workshop of 60 diamond cutters over the years. At some time they were connected with tlrc famous Winston of New

York City. The workshop is closed now and some of the brothers and their son are selling diamonds on commission.

NishanNercessian

Westminster,Caffirnin

I congranrlate you for publishing such an informative magazine devoted to Armenian life everywhere. Please send AIM to my

three sons and their families as gift subacriptions from me.

MP.Andonian M ercer I s land, Washington

AlM, September 1990

Forthefirctlime in Zt yearg Armenians lrcely ebcted their representatlvosto tte RepuUic's hlghet legislative body

ANEWERA Leafurs of the Armenian Government Assume Offtce arrd Takc on the Challcnge of Finding Solutions for Armenia's Innumerable Problems

D emocratically -Elected

By UARTAN OSI(AlllAll ecently, history was made in Armenia. Not because he fint non{ommunist president was elected per se, butbecause he was elected democratically by a popularly chosen parliament.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan,45, who had

o Armenia from Aleppo, Syria in 1946 at tlre age of one, was elected by the 22D-member Armenian Parliament, to

repatiated

become the President of the hesidium of the Armenian Supreme Soviet, defeating

the Communist Party Chief Vladimir

130 votes on tlrc

fint

to the dictionary of oxymora.

three ballots.

During tlrc last two months, for the fust time in 70 yean, Armenian people freely elected tlreirrepresentatives to the republic's

Supreme Soviet from a wide range of political

candidates representing a variety of

movements and organizations. The Armenian Parliamentis compmed

260 members. Of ftat nurnber, 220 werc elected during the elections of the past two months, thus completing the two-third

Presidency. The peo,ple have very little,

trany&itnin

the willingness or the ability of tlre pirty apparatus to act as an instrument of ttte

p,resence for making constitutional changes.

new reforms.

The remaining 4O members will be elected in the coming months.

overlyoptimistic outlook and great hope

From the earliest days of the Bolshevik

against Movsisyan's 80 on the fourth ballot.

Revolution, fte Communist Pary has played a major and guiding role in every aspect of Soviet life. It has operated on the principle

Ter-Pehosyan failed to gain the rcquired

of "democratic centralism," anew addition

Movsisyan. Ter-Peuoaiancapurcd l40votes

This is not the case anymore.

Decenralization is the orderof the day, and tte decline of ttrc CommunistParty'spolitical power in Armenia is in no event expressed more glaringly than in VladimirMovsisyan's decision to declare his candidacy for the

AlM, September 1990

On the other hand, Armenians have an that tlpir destinies will be serled through thenewly elected Parliament When the word of Ter-Perosyan's election ttroughout Armenia, it generated a

sp,read

stcrnofjoy, hryiness ardexciurpnt, mixed

with optimism and relief.

Thousands

celebrated outside the Armenian Parliament

building on August 4 after Ter-Pefiosyan's election to the presidency of tlrc republic's highest legislative body. The continued decline of the authority and legitimacy of the Communist Party has its reflection in the growth of power of the institutions of popular govemment.

blend of divene groups representing a wide andpolitical beliefs. While tlrey are many innumbers, there is

range of social

little difference in the most firndamental political issues. Almostall of them advocate

Armenia's independence, the retum of futsakh (Karabagh) to Armenia and freâ&#x201A;Ź marketeconomy. The emergence of a banage of political

Indeed, the Armenian

! It oi

Parliamenttoday isthehighest

authority

in the repubtic.

groups during a very short period of time has raised a grcat deal of concem irmong ttre public. '"This is too much," observed one citizen, "I think they all are stiving for

power." But the more informed are less concemed. "It was only natural for this to happerl" said Armen Hovanisyan, a newlyelected member of the Parliament. "These groups are ttre spontaneous exprcssion of the diversity of the people's political thinking, which was kept

suppressed

for so long.

teaties,

Eventually, however, tlrey all will

wr,poclaims martial law, dismisses and appoints

emerge into one or two major mainsneam political groups." Today, ttrc pedominant among all is the Armenian National Movement (ANM), occupying 35 percent of the seats in the

makes the laws, ratifies declarcs

ministers. It also elects the Council of Ministers and the SupremeCourt. On August 15, the Parliament elected another leader of the Armenian National Movement, Vazgen Manukyan,44, as the

new prime minister. He rcplaced Vladimir

Ma*aryanE

of the Communist Party, who along with his govemment, resigred earlier the same day. Manukian will form a new govemment soon. Indeed, the leaders of the new govemment are of anew

breed

Parliament. The Communist Party, though battered by

Withoutthedourmlfu stability

itbnot

nealize any

possiHe

politica[

ecunornic or national plan; it is not pmibh to sign any

international treaty, it is no0 pmible to import foreign capital.

idmlogical warfare, is still amajor force, occupying 33 percent of the seas. Ter-Petosyan's election

to the presidency only on the fourth ballot, is a clear and stong indication of ttre stormy days ahead.

Despite Ter-Petrosyan's resignation from the Armenian National Movement right after his election, his name will be

of politicians and

intellectuals. But the

probrems. facing them are the

ARMENIA,S GOVERNIIIENTAL STRUGTUBf peiiodl

same

old ones, created

and consolidated by the irresponsible acts of the ruling party during ttre last 70 years.

Politicat Opposition The configuration of the political forces that are rcstnpingtreArmenian political landscape, dominatedbytlrc

Communist Partyformore

than seven decades, is

with that Broup. And his

associated

{Transitionat

o 6' @

abilitytohandlethe

most

pressing problems quickly and effectively, will determine ANM's future

status

F evolving political = z

inthis

landscqe.

The results of the last parliamentary elections are

by no means t S.

I I

indication of the public'saliprnnent with ex=istins

+"ri"Y.,ffH: was more of a defeat to the

rich and

Cunnuni*

colorful

Party ti:

Independence While the notion of independence has become a common denominatoramong all secton of the population, the main ffierence remains on how and when to achieve it. In his snrmp speech to tlre Parliament before his election, Ter-Petrosyan said: "One thing is clear, and that is proven by the Iatvian example, that the re-establishment

an independent govemment is not a spontaneous ovemight act, but rather a

continuing and persevering process of initiatives."

The National Self-Determination Associuion (NSDA) vigorously opposes TerPetrosyan's approach to the independence issue. The exiled leader of NSDA, Paruyr

Hayrikyan, during a telephone interview with AIM from his home in Califomia, blasted the new president for his visit to Moscow soon afterhis election. Hayrikyan is a staunch believer in Armenia's oufright independence without delay

by a referendum any

or parliamentary means without rather than a victory to the others. Although Armenia is a country with no democratic tradition, the reform process of the political system is moving very quickly and the transition from one-party rule to a functioning democratic system is already in place. And the challenge is whether the competing groups will be tolerant enough to each otlrer, not to underrnine dre democratic process.

permission from Moscow. However, the Armenian Parliament has discussed three rival draft declarations presented to it. The first of the three called for ouright independence and immediate secession frrom the Soviet Unior. The second a morc moderate measure suggested a

schedule

for action toward future

independence, while the third is a simple declaration of sovereignty within the Soviet

Union.

On August 21, the Parliament adopted Itte seoond draft, passing arcsoltttiot

ddating

tlrc beginning of the p,rocess to establish independent statehood. The resolution also

changes the republic's name from the "Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic" to the "Republic of Armenia." By this resolution it is expected 0re republic

will remain pat of the Soviet Union only during a ransition period. Given the composition of the Parliament where the Communists are 33 perceng tlrc passage ofthe resolution by a vote of 183-2, is a clear indication of ttre mounting prcssure

from the people for moving

toward

independence.

Fronomy It is common knowledge that tlrc Soviet Union's economy is in shambles. Armenia's economy is even in worse shape. Next to tre prroblems common to the Union republics,

Armenia frrther suffers from the recent devastating earthquake, the Azerbaijani blockade and the massive and frequent strikes.

Due to the earthquake, 170 enterprises I 30 of which have been completely nullified. Altogettrer, 1.9 billion rubles worth of productive capability has

have been affected,

been incapacitated.

Armenia's economic progress is very much contingent upon the political conditiors facing

the republic both from inside and outside. The domestic stability is crucial for foreign participation in Armenia's economic progress. Armenia is very much dependent on the other

Union republics. All of its oil,

gas and

othernecessities are importedfrom the other Sixty percent of its consumer goods are also imported from outside, and most of them are brought in through the

republics.

Azerbaijani railroad. As Armenia's new government strives for independence and vigorously pursues the retum of Artsakh to Armenia, its economic priorities become hostage to its political ambitions.

Artsakh Another major problem facing *re new leadenhip is the issue of Artsakh. On August 13, Tass, the official Soviet news agency, announced that Armenia's new President

Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Azerbaijani President Ayaz Mutalibov will meet in the

national Armenian movement. Although the last two years have amply demonstratedthe limits of Armenia's political and economic capabilities, it

will bepolitically

damagrng for the new leadenhip to make even temporary concessions on the Artsakh issue for the purpose of domestic stability and economic prosperity.

Diaspora It has been sometime now that the three Diaspora parties have been making strides into Armenia. The most notable among them

has been the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARD. On August 8, right after Ter-Petrosyan's invitation to the Diaspora parties to come to Armenia, ARF offrcially announced its organizational presence in Armeni4 promising to establish a homeland headquarters, an official publication and an informationcenter. There is noofficial word yetfrom the otherparties, nevertheless they areactively tying toesablisha stong fmtrold

in the motherland. Evenurally, all thee wil establish ftemselves in Armenia and start to fight for a piece of the pie in the govemment and, ultimately, for the total control of tlrc govemment. For the last 70 years, ARF considered itself a govemment in exile. Now that it has retumed home that status will soon change to an opposition party. The ARF enjoys great deal of support and

sympattry among the people in Armenia mostly forim association withfte Independent Republic of 1918-20 and also for its firm stand against the Communist regime during the last 70 years

Once the dust settles from the storm of anti-Communist bonanza, the parties will be judged not by what they have done or said in the past but by what they have to offer today through their political platrorms and actual behavior for the Republic's gogrcss

and well being.

TheMilitary The recent conflict between Armenia and

Georgian capital of Tbilisi,

in the presence of

their Georgian counterpart to discuss the issue of Artsakh.

On August 14, Ter-

P !

Pefrosyan officially denied

Azeftaijan on Artsakh, the pogroms of Sumgait and Baku and most importantly

the news saying ttrat it does not conespond to the reality. Real or not, the latest scenario truly reflects the diffi cult position that the new

Moscow's indifference or its biased interference in the conflict, has forced Armenians to take the law in their own hands. Losing

ttrcArtsakh

the faith in Moscow's

issue. On one hand, he feels

willingness and ability to

defend and protect its borders and people,

p,resident is in on

the need

putting the Artsakh issue in its proper

perspective because he

Armenians resorted to

undenands that futsakh has become a symbol of national aspirations and without is rcturn to Armenia, people

forming their own miliary groups. Next to the ArmenianNational Army

feel impotent of doing anything else. "It is our

most organized, several

highest priority now to re-

formed, each under the jurisdiction of a political goup. On July 25, Gorbachev issued a decree ordering armed groups to disband

(ANA),

ttre largest and the

other military groups were

establish the domestic stability," said Ter-Peuosyan during an interview on Soviet television. On fte otrcr hand, he understands even better

that the party that brought him topowerhad started as a movement to pursue the renm of Artsakh to Armenia

15 days or face a military

crackdown.

Ter-Petrosyan, soon

after his

election,

mobilizing the entire

successfi.rly convinced the

population behind this noble

Central Government

cause, which eventually

during his meetings with

transformed into an all-

Prime Minister Nikolai AlM, September 1990

A GLOSE,UP OF

LEVON TER+ETROSYAII For l-evon

Ter-Petnosyan,

*le road to

becoming Armenia's first non{ommunist pesfufunt sinoeird€eerd€nce, hasbempaved

with philological dissertations, political activism and imprisonment. Bom on January 9, 1945, in Aleppo, Syri4 Ter-Pefrosyan immigrated with his family to Armenia in 1946.. A graduate of Oriental Studies in ttrc Philology Departrnent of

Yerevan State University in 1968, he completed his Master's degree at the l,eningrad Institute of Oriental Studieq in 1971, specializing in Armenian and Syriac philology. He became a doctoral candidate in tlre following year and from 1972 ta 1978 worked at the hstitute of Literanre of the Matenadaran, where he has been a seniu scholarsince 1985.

kr 19&7,Ter-ktosyandeferdedhisdoctmal

atlrningradUniversity and was awarded tlre PhD de$ee in philology. He is the authorof six monographs qr the subjea of Armenian-Syriac culunal relations and of the Cilician Armenian stafe, as well

dissertation

asrnorcthanT0scientificarticlesinAnrpnial Russian and French. He is a member of the Writen Union of Armeniq tlre Association of Orientalisre of tlrc USSR and the Asian Studies Association of Rance. He is fluent in French. Ter-Perrosyan began his political activities in tlre 1960s. While at Yerevan University, he participated in student movements, nan a

campaigrfm&e rccogriticn oftrc Annenian Genocide by ttre Turks and was jailed in 1!X5 for ten days. Wittr the onset of the Karabagh Cornrnitr€e, and immediately after

tlteArmenianea*quake,he wasinprisoned in Moscow along wi*r the other

leden of

theMovemenl Three mmths afterhis release on Ivlay 31, 1989, he was elected as a deputy o tlrc Supreme Soviet of Armenia (Aug.

n),

arrd

amemberof itsPresidium inFebnrary of this year. He was re-elected to the Armenian Parliament in the firstround of elections on May 20. During his tenure in parliament, TerPetosyan has also served as a member of as

tp Armenian Natimal Movement since November 1989, later assuming the presidency of the umbrella the goveming body of

organization. He is manied and has a l5-yearold son.

Vazgen Sailisyan, conrmander ol Armenian National Movenrents military

Razmik Vasilyan, commander of

Ry*rkov and InteriorMinisterVadim Bakatin in Moscow, of the new Parliaments ability to resolve the issue on its own and in a short period of time, thus putting himself in an extremely challenging position. Indeed, the task of disbanding the armed groups or wiffing them in one unitundertrejurisdictior of the ParliamenL is the ultimate test for the new Parliament's legitimacy, power, respect, and above all for Armenia's willingness to walk the path of democracy and decency. Razmik Vasilyan, the commander of the

Army who claims to have 100,000 registered members, during

Armenian National

an interview with AIM last January, pledged to put the army under the jurisdiction of a

popularly- elected parliament. So did Vazgen Sarkisyaru fte leaderofthe ArmenianNational

Movement's military arm. Although TerPeftosyan has the ability to force the ANM armed group to disband or join the ANA, but it is doubffirl that he will do so before he is assured ttrat the others will follow suit. So far, there is a strong resistance from the other groups to surrender their arms or

Amenian National Army

Relations With Turkey One of0re issues ttratdivides the biaspor.an parties from the local Armenianparties most,

is the form and the scope of Armenia's future relations wittr its neighbor Turkey. Soviet Armenians have a more conciliatory attitude toward Tur{<ey, while the Diasporan parties are aggressively opposed. There is a general consensus among the Armenian leaders, intellectuals andtre people and economic co-operation with Turkey. In its platforrq t}rc Armenian National Movement advocates the normalization of relations with

at large on opening negotiations

Turkey, without sidestepping the issue of

fte Genocideand Armenia's tenitorial claims. The blurry line drawn by the

normalize relations with Turkey and the extent of Turkey's desire to compromise,

was srongly criticized by the Diasporan patties, namely by the Armenian Democratic

Liberals (ADL) and the ARF. political rcsrucnuing in Armenia the Armenian life today, and is impeus

is the dominating event in

jointhe National Army. The issue of armed groups is a major concem for both Moscow and tlrc Armenian people, but for different reasons. Moscow doesn't want to see military groups outside its control, and the people in Armenia are disturbedby the growing episodes of armed robberies and other incidents either in the name of those groups orby the members of the groups themselves. Even if Ter-Perosyan succeeds in uniting all the individual groups into one unit under the jurisdiction of tlre Parliament, he still

faces the difficult task

ANM between

the degree of Armenias willingness to

convincing

Gorbachev to allow the existence of such a unit outside Moscow's conrol.

AlM, September 1990

will

last further than any other event. lndeed, a new phase ofhistory is gestating in the bowels of the old. The chief question, however, is not whetherthe newlyelected

parliament and its president can solve Armenia's problems, but whether they will be able to do what is needed io establish a

frarnework for national co-operation ttnt will prepare the nation for the consuming tasks that will challenge Armenia in the next several years. It is a national responsibility, ttrat the Armenian people give the new leadership

thechance.

d#:.

s#w" csosss0Alls

*d't'-;' {'!

l.BOO.SEND.AIM

Governorof Galifomia Blazes Trail

toGlory

there were some kind l

of a part-time

assignment that the President asked me to do, I certainly would consider it, but I'm not

looking for any kind of public sector.

frrll-time job in the

Q. Whatwould you saywas the height greatest

of your political career, your

singular achievement as Governor of California?

A. I believe we have been successfirl in creating more opportunities for the people of Califomia. When I took office, we had a high unemployment rate. It was over 1l percent. And we had very poor support for

Deukmejianfavors return to private after 28 years public offtce

ffi

ln this exclusive interuiew for AlM, Gov. George Deukmejian, who did not seek reeleclion to a thid term, reveals his innermost feelings about his 28-year distinguished areer in government and his plans for returning to pivate life.

education. We set out to change that by creating job opportunities and improving the quality of education. In the seven and one-half years that I've been Govemor, more than 3 million new jobs have been created in the state. Justforcomparison, that's more jobs than were created in all the nations of

Western Europe combined. Our unemploymentrate is 5 percentnow instead of over I I peroent and oureconomy continues

to stay atread of the rest of America. We also have increased funding for education

ByGhades R. Nazarian ExecutiveEditor

Q. What are your immediate plans after

completing your term as Governor of California? A. The only thing I've decided so far is that I would like to stay in Califomia and whatever I do, it is going to be in the private will probably be joining a law firm, but I really haven't made any final plans. sector. I

I'm anxious to

end ofthis year.

Q. Would you consider running for federaloffice?

A. No. I'm ending 28 years in public office. Now I am looking forward to a little privacy and to just be active as a private citizen, rather than a public offrcial.

as a public official with an impeccable

opening ofnade offices

themselves - to get a good education, then once they get ig there would be jobs available

I took office we didn't have any nade offices

to them. From ttrat point on, in my view, they are pretty much on their own. How

Govemor we have opened five overseas

wellthey mkeadvanage oftrcseryorunities would determine whether or not they sucoeed That was our primary objective and I feel a great deal of satisfaction in the fact that we have been able to achieve it..

in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Mexico City,

Q. In which sector of the work force would you say thesejobs were created? A. Fornrnately, there is adivenity of major indusries in Califomia, including defense, aerospace, agriculture, tourism and entertainmenl The number of new jobs has been qpreadprefiy well among them. Because

of our large population, we developed

Most of my trips overseas concemed the

outside

forCalifomia Before

of Califomia. Since I

conditions conducive for them so that they preferto operate in Califomiaratherthan in

were offered to you? A. Well, nothing on a full-time basis.

Q. Do you think the news media have treated you fairly?

trade and investrrcnt offices. They are locafed

and

lrndon

Franlfirt.

Q. Have you cnnsidered the possibility of trade accords with the Soviet Union? A. When I met President Gorbachev in San Francisco I told him that Califomia is very interested in engaging in rade with the Soviet Union. When you consider the size of our economy, Califomia is like a nation

Califomia would like to have more involvement in commerce with the SovietUnion. state. So I emphasized how much

Q. Did you discuss any other subjects with Gorbachev? A. Yes, I spoke to him on behalf of tlre Armenian people and I even presented him a written statement, askingforprotection of our people who are the victims of violence in Karabagh and Azelbaijan.

AlM, September 1990

became

huge labor market which attracts investors in the high technology, elecfronics and

some other state.

1987 news article you

the basic elements they need to help

recurd of honor and integrity, would you acrcept a federal appointment if it

Q.In a January

were quoted as saying you would like to visit Armenia some day. Why did you decline Prime Minister V. Markariants' recent invitation to visit Armenia? A. I didn't decline in the sense that I didn't want to go. I just haven't been able to do so with the schedule we've had. As you know, there was the prolonged budget impasse. Now the Sate Lrgislature will stay in session until about mid-September and we still have a lot on the agenda before the lawmakers adjoum. After they adjoum, they'll leave me with several hundredbills tlrat I'll have to review and decide whether to sign or veto tlrcm. That carries me into October and then we have all the major campaigns that go on until the November election. So that's the problem I've had in tying to find time to ffavel. I am not averse to going to Armenia

atall.

computer indusfiies. We work hard at making

Q. tlaving won international rccognition

and supportive. I wish the non-Armenian media had been as kind. The Armenian media has been absolutely wonderfrrl.

from kindergarten through l2th grade. We put great emphasis on giving people

see what oppornrnities there

may be for me. Then I will consider them and make a decision, probably toward the

A. The Armenian media has treated me not only fairly, they've been very generous

Iriedto inpess

rpon him that while tlrc American Armenians are supportive of whathe is doing nationally

chief of staff, and with the Presidentdirectly on this issue, which eventually led to Bush issuing a personal statement wittr respect to the observance of Martyrs Day, the national

day of remembrance for Armenians and expressing his personal feelings about it. But that is distinguished from the official position of the govemment - if you will because of this relationship ttrat

Turkey has

with the United States in the NATO alliance.

Q.Is it almost to the point of blackmail, without basis?

Yes, we all know Turkey spends millions,

much of it given to ttrem by America, in a huge public relations effort to deny there was a Genocide and to oppose the adoption of such resolutions.

Q. Would you encourage young American-Armenians to seek a career in government? A. Yes. I certainly hope that I have

hel@

to break a little ground and proved that there are opportunities if they're interested in public service. I also would like to say to tlte Armenian community in Califomia, as well as in the United States, that when they helped me to become Govemor, it enabled me to bring a great many people from the

Armenian community into govemment positions. Some of ttrem are full-time posts, whileothers serve on importantstate boards

andcommissions.

If the Armenian community now says: "Well, Govemor Deukmejian has left, so we're not going to do anything else," then we will lose a great deal of what we have gained during my term of ofEce. I urge them to remain involved by either supporting

Armenian candidates or - if there doesn't hap,pentobe any - atleast supportcandidates Deulcnellan's smib reflects achievements

who will help ttrc Armenian community continue to be involved

and intemationally by changing ttrc

dicatorial atrnosphere that has prevailed for so many years, we hope that he will provide for the safety and protection of Armenians in the huneland and help resolve ffris long- standing dispute benveen Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Q. hesident Bush has been accused of breaking his campaign promise to support the congressional resolutions to establish April Zasa dayfor national observance of the 1915 Genocide. How do you feel about it?

.d I was disappointed tnt tp A&ninisu-*ior was officially opposing that. The State

Department, and

in particular,

Brent

Scowcroft, his nuional security advisor, were opposed to those resolutions with ttre same reasoning ttrey have had for a number of yeius now - that Turkey is a NATO ally of the United States and would be offended and Turkey, as you well know, puts great pressure on Congress and the

Administation

to oppose such resolutions.

However, I also had many conversations

both with John Sununu, President Bush's AlM, September 1990

govemment

positions. This is a message I expect to be discussing

during the current carnpaign. I don't want them to say: "Well, George is gone and we don'thave anyone to support." We'll lose a lotof what we have gained if they take that attitude. Q. Approximately how many Armenians haveym appointedor ilxninat€dtooffioe? A. You know, people have asked me, "Why aren't you running again?" and in jest, I've replied: "Well, I've run out of

Armenians toappoinr" Seriously, though, I don'tknow the exact number, but it's in the hundreds.

Q.Would it be between200to300? A. Yes, so I get kidded a lot by nonAnrrenias aboutlut,htallof my appoinees are extremely qualified individuals and are doing a supe$ job.

Q. What happens to your appointees when your term ends Do they losetheir pmition when

a new

adminisfuatftn tahes

over?

carry outmypolicies. As fmthe

in as many of his own people for tlp reasons I have stated.

depends. Some of them are to a two-year or four-year term. appointed They serve fteir term, then the next govexnor decides whetherto renew the appoinfnent or give tlre post to someone of his choice. So, it'shardto say. Whenlbecame Govemor, I b,rought my own people because I always felt that my appointees arc more apt to

witr myself and in dealing with others; and their ftird axiom was hard work. I saw all of these virues in them and in all of our friends and relatives. I have followed tlreir example and it has served being honest

mewell.

office?

Q. What would you advise Armenian newcomers to the U.S.?

,d Yes. She was supportive whenlentered public office and she is supportive of my leaving. She has been tremendous. She's

andveryhelpful.

A. I would describe the advantages and opportunities this country offers to them, but emphasize that they would have to work for them. They also must realize they need

a good education in this age of high Q. What was the most valuable advice

technology. Unskilled workers with very

your parents, or an elder member of

little education are going.o be stuck at tlre bottom mng of the ladder. There are many

your family, gave you that you can still rrmember? A. Rather than give me advice, my parents set a good example for me, The principles

Cov. Deukmejhn urttr hls

uilb Glorla in

porfil SXandlng frcm left ifchd Gebband datghter lâ&#x201A;Źslie

graduafedfrorn ttrc University of Califomia in Berkeley and is employed by a public relations firm in San Francisco. Their older daugher, Lalie, is nnnied to Michael Clebb, who is in the computer software business, and she works

opportunities for small busirpss. h Annenian communities we have seen many examples of very successfrrl Armenian entneprcneurs.

a recent famlly

are$elrdaughterAndrca, son GeoNge, son-irtlaw n the best Armenian tradition, Gov. Georse Deuknreiian told AIM tlnt wneritre tras to make decisiurs otlrer than imperative mafiers of state, his first cmsideratiqrhas alwaysbeenforhis family. The Governor and his wife Gloria have a son and trvo daughters. Their son, George,

by which they lived taughtme tree things: First, the value of a gmd education; secon4

Q. Was Mrs. Deukmejian srpportive ofyour decision to withdrawfrom public

been absolutely wonderfiil, very supportive

A. It alt

I I I

ofterpeqle,

who do not hold a term of office, then it's up to the pleasure of my successor. I would expect that 0p next govemor would bring

fuanoil firminl-ongBeach,

Calif. Theiryoungerdaughter, Andrcc is a

AlM, September 1990

senior at the University of California in San

Dego. Asked if any of their children are interested in enteringpolitics, Deuknejian said Leslie is tre only one who has shown such interest, but she has not done anything about it yet

INTERVIEW WITH ABEL AGANBEGYAN I = !

AbelAgar.begw,is oru oltlrc chiof ecowmic advisontoMikhail Gorfuehov.Recently hc was pfiin clwge of the commissianonthc

a o = P

asses srme rrt of ohemative s

to switchto

anw*ct

Armenia, as a republic, should make its own decisions on intemalproblems. But I ftink he majuity of fte Annenian wants to remain in the USSR because if Annenia werc an independent sate, it would have difficulty obtaining energy, oil, gas, erc. Armenia has very close ties with Russia and it would be a serious loss for Armenia to separate from the USSR.

Q. There are many Armenians in the Diaspora who are eager to begin trade

eowwfiyInaruccnt intsnicw witl, AIM,lre

relations with Armenia. What advice would you give to these Armenian

spoke aboutAnmenia's ecorurmy.

industrialists and businessmen as far as their investments and joint venfures are

Q.I*t me start by asking you to give us an overview of the state of the Armenian

needs of the people. An economic tumover conld improve the standard of living because until now, Armenia's economic policy has held the people back by favoring industry, not the individual.

oconomy. A. Armenia is in a much worse economic condition than ourcounfiy as a whole because of the u'agic I 988 eattlquake. At least 5m,000

If we break down the stucture of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in world prices, we will find that less than 50 percent ofthe GDP isbeing spenton social programs.

are still homeless and 200,000 are unemployed. Our govemment approved

But more than 50 percent is used for indusuial invesfrnents and military expenditures. For

10 billion rubles for reconstruction and the ottrer republics organized efforts to help,

example, in ilre United Sates indusnial investrnents and military expenditures are

but the Azerbaijani blockade

hampered

less than 30 percent We must rapidly develop greater food pnrduction to meet the needs

To make matters worse, an additional

ofourpeople. The second priority for Armenia is the consffuction of housing. I would like to

By VARTAN OS!(ANIAN

operations. 300,000 Armenian refugees from Azelbaijan are in need of housing. Now we are trying toprovidbftepeopleof Armeniawifi material and equipment so that they may build their

own homes. So there are many, many problems for Armenia at the present time.

Many Armenians are depressed by these adverse developments and our main task is to restore their faith in tIrc future of Armenia. As a step in this direction, we worted out a

special proposal for our govemment to establish a free trade zone in Armenia to encourage our ffansition to the new market economy. We discussed this with our Prime Minister and he was generally in favor of this project and I hope that he will adopt this project.

Mr. Aganbegran, if you listed three economic priorities for Armenia, what would they be? Three thinp that you Q.

think Armenia should do at this stage? A. I think the fint priority for Armenia is to revise its economic system to meet the

especially sfress this point, because Armenia is in a tenible situation as far as housing is concemed. The third priority would be to solve the pollution problem in Armenia, especially in Yerevan and all of tlre Araratregion. Nothing is being done about cleaner air and the toxic waste problem. Some enterprises pnduce a large volume of pollution. For

example, Nayirit is a chemical company very near the center of Yerevan. Nayidt is dangerous for Yerevan because it uses coal for energy and it would be caasrophic if an explosion occurred. Q. Should Armenia beoorne independent

today? Do you think it could survive ecnnomically? A. Each republic should be sovereign, wittr sovereign righs. And each republic would

have

own budget and make its own

decisions as to the best use of its income.

AlM, September 1990

concerned in Armenia? A. I think there are a lot of possibilities to improve the Armenian economy ttrough foreign investrnents by Armenians. To encourage foreign investrnents, I think your magazine could publicize ttre advantages planned for firms investing in Armenia. Our govemment is presently preparing a special law conceming foreign investnents and wants opropose this lawto the Supleme Soviet. This law would permit a foreign company to buy land and consffuct its own

building. It also could buy other enterprises and Soviet securities, and so on and so forth. Q. Going back quickly tothe freetrade zone as you call it - or free economic mne - and I knowthat youare one of the advocates ofthis idea, could you give us a litfle more information as to how this trade zone would be established; what would change? A. Yes. There are states in the world that have tfs special econqnic zone. This qpecial zone is govemed by a specific law

forforcign

economic research. In Armenia, the level of tax forajointventure would rctl;r'30%o, as itis intlrc USSR. Especially in t-eninakan and Spitak, we want that tax to be much lower. Q. But why wurld the entral goverlment give this privilege to Armenia and not to any other republic? Because you'rc there? A. The problem is whetherthe republic is ready or not. I think Armenia is ready for foreign economic relations because it has more potential for growth than the ottrer republics. We also want to invite foreigr banking institr.rtions to establish branches

inArmenia.

Editor's {slet Mtlchail G orbachcv oslud Abel Aganbegan, his chicf economic odvisor, to find a consultanl to help improve ihe Sovict Union's position in worW aade. Ma*, C hic ogo-base d nur*cting expert who had goirud ilrlcrruliot ol promi.runce for his achiovemenfi, was Aganbegw{s chaice andlu was invite d to M o s c ow. W lu n govemmenl

M adroian,

offrcials in S ovia Amunia lcanud this, thcy insistcd tlwt Mukaian also give somo economic afubeforhis homeland. Dwing a brbf stapover in Los Angeles, Madurian had an infomul chat wilh V allan O sleania n,

NM\

ntmaging editor. Hererin

Mulradan's own words,

is how it

all

happerud

Mar*arian Shows Armenia WayToWorld Market "\ilhen Vladimir Movsisyan, First

him. So I keep sanding behind Abel, and

Secretary of Armenias CommunistParty, and Gaghig Hatunian, chiefof theEconqnic Committee, had heard that an American

Abel is coming behind me and we're going half-way ao,oss tlre damn airport and finally

o Moscow,

Gagtrig says to me Mr Matkarian, we have limousines and drivers at yourdisposal and we await your speech tomorrow." I said 'excuse me?' He said, '300 of us are coming from all over Armenia to hear your speech.' A few miles passed and Pearl says to me

expert in marketing was coming

ttrcy called Abel (Aganbegyan) and said, 'Can you please have this American expert

csrp

trere because we need trcS Oesperarcty?'

He sai4 No, he's too busy; we cant presume his time and he's also too expensive.' So

tlren Abel called me and asked 'Are you going to visit Armenia?' I said no. "So then he called again. He has a way of doing this three days later and he said,'Are you planning on visiting Armenia? I said 'Abel, youknow IU like tobutI can't. Ican't

Armenia I have to come back right away.' Finally, Pearl, my wife, said'I'mgoing tocome with you,'and Christine, my daughter, said'I'm coming too.'Then Pearl said'Were going to Armeniq aren't we?'I said no. She said 'What do you mean we're not going to even go to Moscow, let alone go to

... They havetaken anawful bcating financially, economically and but they have a tremendors amunt of

pridg rwlution and oommitnei* to the right tlrfuEthatyoudon't see in the

Unitd

States They are atougher fiber of people than what I've known.

Armenia?' She said 'You're going to Mosoow and you're not going to Armenia?' I said Pearl, I don't have time. She said 'Make time.'I said O.K. "So then Abel called me and said, 'If you will go to Armenia, I will cancel my tip to

Ill

Singapore and China. I'U delay that and make it an official Russian govemment visit to Armenia and we will be your host and take you there.' I said O.K., fine. I had no idea what he was talking about other than tlrefactttrat Im going to Armeniato see the county which Pearl wanted to do. So when I anived in Armenia andnied to get offthe

here.'Finally

'Youre making

a speech?'AndI said ?earl, we ought to go home.' So I said think Abel, am I suppose to make a speech? He said,'Welljustforafew minutes. It's nothing,

just a little few minutes eh!'I said you must be

outof yourmindAbel. Whatspeech? So

the next day ttrey're all over me. And Im saying to myself, if 300 people are waiting for me to talk, it can't be nothing. It's got to be something. So Pearl says 'Have you prepared anything?' I said 'what preparc anything?'I said'you know, well make it a short one etc.' So when we go to the meeting, and Abel gets up and he's so cute. You've got to see ttrc humility of Abel. He tuns to me and he says, '[.ook,' he says, 'I will innoduce you.'I figured, you know, it's going to be a short inroduction. "So I'm sitting on tlrc edge of my chair, waiting formy tum to speak. "Abel takes 12 minutes to introduce me. He's going on and on. He repeats my name, Mark Maftarian. He tells them I'm a rich American. I'm very busy and I'm going to give them 15 minutes and they had better

Everybody's siuing in this big plane jamrnd with Armenians and all of a sudden three or

four burly men came and grabbed my

valuable.'

off the plane.

suitcases, and tlre suitcases of Pearl and Ctristine. And tlrcy told these people not to move until the guests get off the plane. When we went down on the ground, there

when yor talk about takfury a ountry and moving it fonwandrl'm not realty intertsted in Artmians gfngoverthere to help. Tht'sfine, but that doesn't do the job. The Armeniars themselves must ome out of thir slrcll and move forward.

these peo,ple are

pay attention. "I asked one of the translators, 'What did he say?' She said, 'Abel told them you will speak 15 minutes and that they better pay attention because your time is very

plane, and nobody got

.Jut

I said'Abel,

"Now, I thoughg what

thing to say to my

fellow Armenians. These are my people. So I took offmy jacket and alked for almost three hours. The next thing I knew I was

were three or four limousines, all these

being rushed into another room and I'm

Armenians were there, you know - counsels and adminisnators, following and scraping

giving a live talk on national television. "They also asked my opinion of Turkey

and alking to me in Armenian. And my

and kan and I gave ttrem my views, trade

Armenian is second-grade and Im nodding and thinking it's all for Abel, and of course they have great respect for Abel, enormous respect. I mean they absolutely swear by

suggestions. They were so concise, so

AlM, September 1990

practical, that they lmked at each other and said, 'See, he's right!'

illink you better debate it.

I don't

think you should move so quickly, I old them. After all, I spoke off the top of my head. They said, 'no, no, no, you did more

in trvo houn, etc.' I promised them that if they sent me pertinent information I would do what I could. I old tlpm that on my next nip I would visit Armenia first and then go to Moscow. After making that p,romise, I

'"Their commitnent nuly impressed me and I have to say that I am going to do what I can for them to the best of my ability. And I told them, in lieu of my fee, if you give me tlree good meals a day we wincdl iteven. '"The fint thing I said to them was you have to start publicizing yourself to tlrc

left.

"Harnrnian telephoned me a

short time later and said, 'We have 200 pages prepared with everyttring $ you asked for.' I thought, my God, E

what voluminous information!

f ir t

realized that they took everyhing I said literally and I had to read So after I studied it, I sent my first

seven-page appraisal and listed suggestions for mking the

fint

steps

over there to help. That's fine, but tlnt

dmsntdoftei$. TleAnrmiansffrernselves must come out

of their shell and move

forward.

said the fust thing you have to do is

take anaccounting of yournatural rcsources. I said the next thing you've got to do is put

it on the line to see if it's a world+lass item justlike a track star. I said you can have a track star who is great in Peabody, Pennsylvani4 but now you have to determine whetherhe or she is a world+lass sprinter and the only way you can find out is by getting out into the environment "So I said the first thing we have to do is to determine what items you want to exporq ircms you think are abundant; items you feel are

fonvard. So now we are going to

markeable and competitively priced I said ttre first thing they must do is to panicipate in trade shows. There are hundreds ofrade shows held all over Europe. They must select the

get down to some real, no-nonsense

business.

"There are some extremely bright Armenians over there who are very commiued, very dedicated

ones where they feel they have

And tlrc thing t}rcy said to me that stands out in my mind is, 'Mark, we don't want money, we don't

opportunities to move fonvard.

"I said you must be able to sell yourself. You must supply these tade shows and I'll work with you and we must develop a young cadre of smart-talking Armenians who know how toarticulare. They mustbe Jalbig and yaman,' and who know how to sell andknow how to hustle.

want sympathy and we really don't

want financial help. All of that is very ephemeral and short-lived.' They said, 'Armenians come over here and we wine and dine them and they talk and they go. Then we never see them again and we're sick of it.' They said, \Me thank the people of the world for their help in the 1988 earthquake. We'll neverforget iL Now, tlrc economic recovery ofourcountry is the most

and 'yaman' don't mean running at the mouth. You have to be fast and

Armenians are notorious procrastinators. I mean ttrcy talk

areinrwlantand fu't matter.Now it'sup to that ountry to look at th realitks of life and

importantthing.' "I was geatly impressed wi0rtlrcir

My previous impression of

Armenians in the homeland was that they weredestiurte, desolate, pleading ardbegging. . . but it was not so. They have had terrible

misfortunes. They have taken an awfirl beating financially, economically and miliarily, but tlrey have a ternendous arnount of pride, resolution and commifrnent to do the right thing that you don't see in the United States. They are a tougher fiber of people than what I've known. Life in

and talk and they don'tknow how to cut it. I said the first thing we have to

say "VYhat mattem? VYhat counts?"

do is pick six indusfries or six items.

resiliency, their drive and their

honesty.

"You know, in my world Jarbig'

-. So ee truth of the mafier ig you've got a ootmtry of magBiffoent people, with a h,emendurlegrey, a tnenrendous traditftm who have falkn sr wry hard tirc fon reasons that

world at large. You can't wait for joint venturâ&#x201A;Ź programs and you can't wait for some Armenians to go over there to get something started. I said Armenians are very naive in the practical application of business.

"Our people mean well and there

are

many Armenian enrepreneun, but they're

not in the multibillion dollar class of companies that I have run which are very

Is it high-tech? Is it mining? Is it agriculture? Is it your quarries? Is it your stoneware? Is it your gems? Tell me what you think it is, because I have the firll component of information that tells me their su,engths and weaknesses.

said now we'll immediately make applications for tade shows. Then we have to get sophisticated and professional booths ready and I would have to train personnel to operate

them. I said we have

to gsj

America is easier and more comfortable, so we hurt more readily. But the Armenians

successfirl and much richer now. They've run their businesses out of their pockets, soto-speak. They've done well as entppreneurs

thatlmet in ttrc homeland

are

committedto

on their own scale. But when you talk

making things work and

there's a way,

aboutaking acountry andmoving itforwand" I'mnotreally interested in Armenians going

ttrere are a few viable by-products of your resources that can be exported for profit. Let's move in that direction. Meanwhile, if

they'll do it.

AlM, September 1990

lefiers out, we have to start contacting

people in tlrose countries.

told 0rcm,

believe that somewhere

we have iterns which aren't totally

develqed,

will come in and say, something can be done with this; let's get together, let's talk. You people must leam how to start a dialogue. "I said I'm not interested in Armenians counting on Armenians. That's easy. You know why? Because you're intimidated by the world at large, so you go to a relative. Theman whohas financialequity goes to a bank The man who doesn't goes to a cousin and gets hurt because tlre cousin won't lend ttrcn hopefrrlly, otlrcrentsreprerrcurs

ittohim. "Then I said, after six months of being in trade shows, we sit back and take inventory. We say O.K., we went ouL We forget the hype and we forget the nonsense. What do

wehave? Whatshouldwedevelop? What tade shows shotrld we retain? Whatpodtrts should we push? Let's go back and improve ttris prodtrct [rt's be mqe pricecurpetitive. "Meanwhile, at these shows we will anract other business people who are looking for companies and producs in which to invest

venture capital. Now you've got joint operations because people see something in your counfiy and something in yourproduct 'TVtren I was prcsident of Roserrtral Chin4

rnagnificentcounty, amagnifioent product enormous facilities; tlre pricing was right, but tlrc product was wrong. How can it was in a

company, the oldest china company in the world, make the finest china and put the most horrible pattems ever designed on its a

china? They couldn't undenand why it wouldn't sell. All I did was change all the pattems and in two years I rescued it from the brink of bankruprcy and made it number one in the world. "I said, if you ever tell me you're waiting

wrcng. It had nothing to do with us. It was a tenible 'OK, our

ancestors were

arocity and we admit it.

Please accept

apologres. We beg for your forgiveness.' So we accept their apology. Now what? Where do we go from there? They would give anything to get out from under the glare of the world's anger and fury.

"So we tell them: 'We don't like you, but we're willing o do business wittr you as long as it's good for our country. Now, I said, we chuckthem underthe chin and we get $500 million to $l billion dollars credit line from them, which is considered to be

partial reparation and we use it as seed money to getoureconomy going. we still don't have to like tlrem. They know we hatethem.

"Do you think because we tell them maybe we'll do business that it's a love affair? They're not fools. They figure, look at these Armenians. They hate our guts but they're willing to take our money. I said ttrink of otlrers who do things like tlnr I won't give any names. So I said, we use our intelligence and with that we get the seed money to get going.

there and they asked me questions about the

how dyspeptic I can become. And tlrcy all undentood. I told ttrcm these are your

problems of tading with Tukey andl said: 'l-ook at Arnerica Who's our greaEst trading

instructions and when

partrer? Canada Why? Because it's across the border. Who's our second greatest trading partner? Mexico. Some Canadians hate us and some Mexicans hate us. It doesn't

come over in

indusnies we have selected. These are the directions we're going to move in. We have 20 or 30 already lined up.'

"You will give me a cadre of bright, sophisticatd alert young men with a lotof enerry and drive and I will train them. Meanwhile, we would also be planning to develop a trade relationship wittr Iran and other counaies, including Turkey. Then they asked me if I would head the trade

commission. I said I don't know. I said now in Turkey, you know how I feel about l6

"That was my speech.

matter.

was standing

we trade. We do business because

it's easy and also ithelps keep the borders at peace

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with each other. You don't atrack a

nation thal you're dependent upon for trade. "So tre truthof itis, you'vegotacountry of magnificent people, with a tremendous legacy and atemendous radition who have fallen on very hard times for reasons that are irrelevant and don't matter. Now it's up to that country to look at the realities of life and say what matters? What counts?I

AlM, September 1990

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struggling to stay

ilINAS KO.rAlAItl . Gypnrs he first aid center was located next to a church in an area of Beirut heavily populated with

Armenians. There was unusual trafFrc at the entrance to the center that day. A pretty grl of 10 or 12 walked into the center holding her grandfather' s hand.

"Would you please look after my grandfather's wound?" she asked the nurse. The nurse kindly provided the necessary care and then let the old man and little girl go. The nurse, named Armin6e, recognized the old man. Warching them as they were leaving, she sighed and said: "He received several wounds during tlrc March fighting. He is left with only one son who guards the smeets all night together with my cousin. His other children have already emigmted." Armin6e's cousin Vazken had just got

manied when ttre bloody

Armenian kids d a playground during a shoil-lived cease-ltre to emigmte to those countries.

"My father and I were the only family memben who stayed in kbanon," said Arminee, urning hereyes toward thepicnues of her family on her desk. "My mother and fwo brothen went to [,os Angeles, and my sister went to Canada," she added. When itcomes to emigrating to the US or Canad4 she says, "My father is reluctant to leave kbanon. He says to me, 'I am a boss here in my own business. I can't work for someone else."'

clashes

The education problem in Beirut today is quite roubling. There is no single school in the eastem part of the capital that has not been seriously darnaged

day one, Armenian-populated areas were targets of bombing and shelling by bottr factions. A gas tank explosion caused the debris to spead over almost half a mile radius and damage the buildings of two Armenian schools, Djemaran and Tekeyan. Fortunalely, students had already gone home. "Yes, the number of the Armenian

among Clristians started. That night ttrc armed guards honored the couple as guests under totally dark skies. The hurnidity ard noisy fuel-operated generators (usedbecause of @uent

po,pulation is decreasing, butevery time peace pevails, people change

theirmind and startrebuilding and

repairing," said an Armenian principal. This optimism is well-founded. Armin6e showed me the donated

and almost continual power outages)

made sleeping impossible.

stretchers and the oxygen

The latestoutbreak of intemecine

fighting in east Beirut since

late January proved more disastrous to tlre Armenian community therc than the preceding 15 years of civil war in I-ebanon, since it happened in the section of ttre capial where the vast majority of the Armenian mmmunity lives with its own establishments. Notasinglebuilding in the areawas spared frrom the shelling. Shelters were full of children, women and elderly people. They were hopeless, morally and financially desroyed to the extent that

they even forgot the aftocities committed agairst tlrcm in 1978, during clashes between tlrc Syrian army and the Christian forces. As the siu.ration improved, Armenian families songht slplter in mounainous rcgons of kbanon, namely Aindjar. They fled to West Beirut (slamic section of the capital), to Syria, Qrprus or Jordan. Tlre consulates of Canada, the USA, France and Austalia were full of Armenian families that stood in lines for housand days hoping to get a visa

Altrough Annerias

adopted tlre policy of positive neutrality since

equipment Armenian newspapers publish ads about the rcopening

of the schools. The eastem branch of Haigazian College, located on

the Ashrefieh hills, is being renovated. Garmirian school made

every effort to accommodate students of three other schools.

the Alex Manougian Center in West

Beirut, surdenc of Demirjian schml continue their studies and farttrer

The Christian population, taking advantage

of the short recess from shelling, fled to the airports and ports of Damascus and Cyprus. Within the past 16 months there

away the Armenian Evangelical School wittr its 125 students carries on a normal school

life.

Armenian religions and political lea&n have expressed their concems over this large

To aid Armenians in Irbanon, the two Armenian religious leaders, Their Holiness Catholicos Vazken I of Erchmiadzin and Catholicos Karekin tr of the Cilicia See, issued a joint communique calling to the attention of Armenians worldwide not to wait forany political solution to the kbanese crisis, to extend a helping hand so that no Armenian would be deprived of tlre basic

emigration figure.

minimumneedsof

have been 15,000 applicants to immigrate to the USA, Canada Europe and Australia This represents 16 percent of tre 90,000 Armenians living in L,ebanon (1989 figure),

a 55 percent drop in the toal Armenian population within the 15 years of war.

AlM, September 1990

life.

I l7

SOVIETARMENIAN TMMIGRANTSCARVE

PATHTOSUCGESS

Aviation Agency, which is still in use in anival in trc United Sarcs, he delivered - in Engtsh - an award-winning scienffic paper at the National Computer Conference in Atlantic U.S. airports. Only four yean after his

City. "You have to do

something

exfraordinary to succeed in this country," Banamian said. "Hard work and vision will get you there." The new president of the Armenian Engineen and Scientists of America (AESA), and a graduate of Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, Banamian was tight-lipped about his newest project - the organization of a new institute to fosterttre technology of tlrc 21st Cennrry in ttre United States.

hof. Banamian and is the author

also holds trryo U.S. patents

15 published papers.

is also a recognized intemational consultant

and speaker on computer systems and technology. A smong believer in the 'tollective wisdom

Dr. Barsamian ignorcd wamlngs and rose to top of computer

By SERGE SAIIONIANTZ

all the waves of Armenian

immigration tlmthave swept into the United states, the people

originating from

Soviet Armenia have

received the most negative press within the

community. Crime stories, gang-related activities, welfare abuses and ttre lack of community involvement, are charges that have been hurled indiscriminately against the

paticular group.

In this flurry of self-flagellation, the success stories of thousands of hard-working Soviet Armenians have been buried. All classes of

professions and businesses have absorbed and benefited from the recent immigration. Some of them, in fact, have reached the top of their chosen f,reld in record time. Not all Soviet Armenian immigrants have the same explanation for tlrcir achievements

in ttre United States. Some have something to prove to those they left behind. Many lmk for entrepreneurial success. And yet forothers, success means financial security, which they regard as the just by-poduct of

hardwork. All tlreir stories have sometring in common: hard work equals success, resistrnce to the l8

scbrce field

allure of collecting welfare and f,rll integration in Armenian and American society, because they have chosen to do so. And, not all are public persons, again, by choice.

"I hadtoprove tothem thatIcould succeed Harut

of the Armenian people," despite the discrimination his family was subjected to when it anived in Armenia from lrbanon in 1946, Barsamian, admining he has nothing but disdain for those 'thameleons" who now profess pariotism in Armeniq is still deeply concemed about the conditions of the people in Armenia. For him, the only solutionforArmenia's cunent woes involves the sneng&ening of the country's economy. '"That's the only way we can solve political and other problems," he said. Through the

in the United States," said Dr.

AESA, and personal involvements,

Barsamian, speaking about the Communist party apparatchiks in Armenia fr,om his INirrc office overlooking the million{ollar homes dotting tlre verdant hills of Orange County. Barsamian, 56, adjunct professor at the University of Califomia, Irvine, and director of the Engineering and Computer Sciences Program at the University Extension, came to the United States from Yerevan in 1966, despite wamings from the powers-that-be

Banamian is hoping that he could have a meaningful role in the advancement of Armenia's economy through modemizing

in Armenia that he was "not good enough to succeed" in a capitalistic society. He p,roved them wrong again and again. Between his first job interview in Detnoit, where he had to employ an interpreter, to his present position, Barsamian worked for ttre Raytheon Company. He later became managq of Advanced Studies at the NCR Corporation, and most recently, he served as directm of Advanced Technology at Sperry Cuporath - all leading defane ard curp*u companies in the United Sates. He was one

ttre designen of ttre first computerized air raffic conhol systems for the Federal

AlM, September 1990

the counoy's technological base.

nother fast-rising young Armenian in the highly competitive [-os Angelesiweky h$iness, GamKetn|:kian, alsofirom Yerevan, was more reticert to qpeak about his sucessflrl business, Garik's Jewelry. Relrcant to place a dollar amotmt on his arurual sales, he

merely categorizes his business

"suc@ssful." Business associates and ftiends estimate his annual sales to range between

$10 million and $15 million, although Keurjekian would not conoborare tre figues. The 36-year-old young man, who came to the United States in 1977, is content with

ofhis work. Keu{ekian is known jewelry designer. His business is involved in the wholesaling as well as the manufacnning ofjewelry poducs. But, muelhanmmey,heprizestlrc rcpuation

tlre results

as a highly-alented

he and his business have eamed over the yean.

"We are successfirl so far, because we've used our own resouces.

ffa

man wishes to

wor* hard, he will find success anywhere," he said. He advised newcomers entering the business to be Feparcd to work long hours and use ttreir innate intelligence to rise in ttre business world. He is proud he has creatâ&#x201A;Źd what he calls *Yesterday Delivery." If a customer calls for an order, he delivers it by the fastest available conveyance, "by yesterday," he beamed. Keurjehan prefers tohirc Annenian wo{<ers

and pays them higher wages than those who choose to employ lesser-paid wo,rkers."I

prefer Armenian workers," he said categorically.

aprpetite

of a different kind

fuels John Berberian's growing business empire in Southem Califomia. Eight supermarkets provide food for approximately 100,000 families a week, making the family-run operation one of the largest independent market chains in the Westem United States. He arrived from Yerevan in 1969 at the age of 18. He has maintained a grueling pace of l0 to l2-hour workdays since then. After leaming ttre language and graduating frrom los Angeles City College with a degree in business administration while working at his flagship market on [-os Angeles' Third Stneet, Be6erian, with his brotherJack and father Daniel, developed the business into

where major firms have difficulties rnaintaining pofiB. Officials at Certified Grocers of Southem Califomia the

E d

largest independent market 6 P cooperative in the Westem c = United Sates - a$1.8 billiona-year concem -have a very high regard for Berberian and

his market operation. "He knows what he is doing, far

more than he lets others know," said

a senior buyer at

Certified. While Berberian said he does

not have the time to be involved in community activities, he has hel@ in other more private ways. Sources close to him said his quiet generosity has genâ&#x201A;Źrafâ&#x201A;Źd

many cases of food parcels to needy Armenian families, butheprefers notto talk about that.

Unlike many ArmenianAmericans, the businessman does not seek

publicity. In

his characteristically clipped speech, he said that

"Work is

moreimportant."

Kanffian nlike Be,rberiaru Henzel

llartmian

Glendale does not have a oollege degree, but he has a degee in the school ofhard knocks.

Launching his American business

its present size.

"We had to adjust to the county," he said. "The criuntry was not going to change for us.". Berberian enjoys his worls, and is regarded by knowlegeable grocery business

analysts as a wise businessman

in a field

Berberian's supenmrtets

bed

experience by driving acab afterhe anived

here

1980, Hartunian built a garment

sewing business into a multi-million dollar business, currently employing 70 full-time workers. 1(X1,000

lamilies a rveek

deltuerc gems

lresteday

Palaying his cab experiance into an Enffileaming experience, Hartunian, hel@ by his wife, Susan, son Arttrur and daughter Greta, first leased into the new business. Now the sole owner of the factory site in south Glendale, Hartunian services multimillior dollm orders ftun lrge mantractning firms srch

Liquetrc and Califomia Fashion

Indusries. The SO-year-old businessman has already purchased tIrc lotnext door, where he plans to move smn into a

l5,00square-fmt plant,

nipling his present factory capacity and employing a worldorce of 160 persons. When he came to tlle United States, his expectations were no different than the expectations of ottrer immigrants. "I wanted to live an easier life in a county where work is rewarded, not frrowned upon, " he said. Building a new custom-home in the

hills high above Glendale, with other developments in progress in the same city, and a condominium in I as Vegas, Hararnian

perls of hard-won success. Now, Hartunian shares his good fortune with his Armenian employees - about l0

is enjoying tlre

Armenian textbook projects. The Yerevan State University graduate is supenrising the development of unifsrm textbooks on Armenian language, literanue and history forsudenr of fte Prclacy-qponsoed schools in Califmfa Westrn and Eastem Armenian

dialects are also being

devel@for

grades

I through 9,

she said. She credits her volunteer community

work

to a spirit that has animatâ&#x201A;Źd Armenians tnoughout fte ages.'Ttrere is rrc explanatiur

It is something that comes from inside."

I t

nese [rurusranrs srones are nor

newonesforAnneniansandare

prooaDly snareo Dy mosr immigrants in this country. What is remarkable in these - and certainly many other undocumented cases - is tlnt 0rcse individuals were the products of a system where penonal initiative was discouraged, ifnotpunished. I ndeed Soviet-Armenian immigrans can llartunian sews up hls lorEne in gament business percent of t}rc total woddorce. He said he pays them more than what they would otherwise make if they sayed onwelfare. "Now," he says proudly, "no one I employ

second edition. Published in Beirut, with the support of the Catholicosate of Citcia, ttp landmark book has been translated into

receives welfalâ&#x201A;Ź anymore."

she said.

English, and is in tlre final editing stages, Upon her anival to Los Angelesn1977,

Not satisfied with simply enjeying the fruits of his labors, he has tumed his attention o Armenia, wherehe said, he plans to start a sewing factory. Permits are being finalized

Hairapetian researched and lectured on Armenian literature at UC[.A's Narekatsi Chair for Armenian literaure. After three yean at UCLA, she taught four years at the University of [a Veme. For the last nvo

for a blue jeans manufacturing plant, Hartunian reported. He is not expecting any p,rofits and he claims *tat is the reason why the govemment will approve the arrangements. "I di&r't ask Soviet officials, 'when am I going to gain from ttris business?"

Hartunian said. '"That's why I think I

will

years, she has been involved in the Prrelacy's

sustenance.

r. Srbouhi Hairapetian.

another

scnorarrr'm rerevan, N Dusy ar

work on still another Armenian educational project in L.os Angeles. As a menrberoftre WestemRelacy's Edrrcaional Council, she is busy supervising ttrc writing of textbooks for Armenian-American schmls.

Her own book, a monumental 800-page,

"Hisory of Ancient and Medieval Armenian Literature," is a major work, now in its

Armenian and American mosaic: Prolific composer and conductor Henrik Anassian, composer Armen Aharonian, painterPuzant Godjamanian, singen Shakeh Toukhmanian,

John Nshanian and Harout Pamboukjian, indstialist Vahe Karaetiar\ political rctivist Berdj Karapetian, etc. There are thousand of others - physicians, bakers, engineers, musicians, businessmen and simple workers - who will heal, entertain, design, feed and someday lead the Armenian community

intotlrc2lstC-entury.

Halrapetlan wrttestexbooks on Armenlan hlstory, librafurc

getthe permit " He foresees ftathis Yerevan 6 5 factory will employ 200 workers. E o He said he is not involved in local Armenian organizations, churches, etc., but that he o helps finarrcially wtreneverhe can. He advises = newcomers to be patieng and to leam the language and not to rely on welfare for tlpir

I-, I Y

point with pnde to the kaleidoscope of conhibutions ttrey have brought to the

AlM, September 1990

well

COMMENTARY By HAIG KEBOPIAN, Gonsulting Editor Former Editor of Editorial Pages, Daily News of Ins Angeles mmigrans from Soviet Armenia can

from the knowledge that the agonizing problems ttrat so many of tlrem are experiencing in tlreir effuts take heart

to adjust to ttrc laws and customs of tlrc

United States, are far from being unprecedented experiences in the nation's history of immigration. As the records can attest, Arrnenian irnrnigrane frun Asia Mintr, the Middle East, Europe and other pars of

the world, also have experienced severe privations, anxieties and fears, as well as excessive doses ofprejudice since the early decades of the current cenarry. SovierArmenian immigranc need to rcalize thatAmerica would nothave developed its advanced technologies and wealth of other enviable resources without the invaluable contributions of its immigrants and their talented progenies. They also need to realize that theirown skills and energies could further spur the nation's growtlr and development

in all of its life-

enhancing areas of activity. Actually, there are many Soviet Armenians who already have established successful carcers in the arts and sciences and the business community. Some of their achievernents are feanred in this curent issue of AIM. We can expect countless

syllable by syllable and word by word They

He also had distinguished himself as

toiled in ttre mill towns of New England and in the spate of factories and shops in other indusrial states. They also worked as

author and speaker whose talks invariably focused on his love and devotion for his adopted country. Before his anival in the United States in

steet venders and dishwashen in restaurants and hotel kirchens.

1922, Mar:d*ian had lived through the

Sizable numbers labored on farms in states where the economies were geared largely

nighrnare of the Ottoman arocities during his teen years. He never forgot tlrc memory

or partially to agriculhral pnductivity. kr the San Joaquin Valley, they worked long hours as tenants, until their savings were

for down payments O purchase ranches that produced lush crops ofgrapes, cihus fruits, peaches, apricots and walnuts. Today, anumber of those ranches are owned and operated by the grandchildren of the early pioneer growen. Smaller numbers of enough

immigrants were involved in agricultural

punuis in Wisconsin, Minnesota" Indiana Illinois, Ohiq New York and several soulhem states.

The saga of Armenian-American immigrants includes the imp,ressive records of those who worted their way through colleges and universities andeamed degreas in medicine,law, economics, education and the arts and sciences. Those first generation graduaEs ftun Arnerican institrtiuls of higher

...Meaningful lessons can be learned from the harsh experience ofthe earlyday Armenian immigrants who had to overoome prejudicial actions of other ethnic groups......

But first of all, they must diligently attune themselves to the leaming pocess that can open doors forthem in theirefforts tobetter

leaming, became role models for ttreir funre sons, daughters and grandchildren. Some of the Soviet-Armenian newcomers are already role models for their cunent and future progenies. They had eamed singular honors for achievements in many fields of

understand the actions, ideals and objectives of the American people. Meaningful lessons

endeavor before their departures from Armenia. And there are no valid rquons

can be leamed from the hanh experiences of ttre earlyday Armenian immigrans who had to overcome prejudicial actions of other

cannot evolve to comparable levels of

others to follow in their footsteps during the years ahead.

ethric groups in Massachusetts, Califomia's San Joaquin Valley and other states where masses of Armenians had settled. A small prcentage of those immigrants buckled under the mounting pressures, and they retumed to the Middle East and Europe as expeditiously as possible. But, the overwhelming majority decided to "tough it out." They threw themselves into ttre arduous task of leaming the new language,

why more of their compriots in tris country achievement.

Soviet-Armenians and their Armenian

ofhisbravefatherwhenbrutal Trukish soldiers

entered the family home in Scutari and dragged him away with numerous other able-bodied Armenian men in the area. All of them were killed in cold blood. Motivated by his urge to seek revenge for the

unconscionable crimes against his countymen, Mardikian at the age of 15, became a member of the brave, but illequipped Armenian army that valiantly fought the Turks and confributed to the military actions tlnt led to ttre establishment of the short-lived Armenian republic. One can never forget George Mardikian, as the genial host in his world-renowned Omar Khayyam's restaurant. He was a generous person who gave fuely of his time and resources. And his patriotism was expressed in words and deeds. During

World

War tr, he demonsftated his si<ills in mess kitchens of army camps along the West Coast, including Fort Ord and Camp Robert. He aught army cooks how to make simple foods more palatable _ accomplishments that helped raise the

morale of army roops. His admirers included presidents and members of Congress, as well as totrranking military leaden. And he played a key role in projects that brought thousands of Armenian refugees to the United States.

Mardikian were alive today, he unquestimably would have qged immigrans from Armenia to fully aprpreciate America's democratic laws and institutions, and to set the highest goals for their families. And it is unlikely that he would have missed the ryortmity of expressing pride in &e glowing fact ttrat George Deukmejian, the son of Armenian immigrants, had been elected govemor of the nation's most populated state.

Now is the time for our Soviet-Armenian friends and neighbors to buckle down and make the most of their resources and their new-found fuedoms. By doing so, they will join forces with other Armenians who are mntinuing to make substantive contibutions to a nation that has given ttrem more than

intemationally-acclaimed restaurateur and

90 years of freedom and unlimited

expert on Armenian and Near Eastem dishes.

opportunities

counterparts from other counfies, can gain inspiration and strength from the record of the late George Mardikian, an immigrant from Turkey wtro had wd$en the book "Song of America" as a loving tibute to tlrc country that had made it possible for him to work

his way up from a dishwasher to

AlM, September 1990

forgrowth.

TWO DESIGNERS GIVE EUROPE

TASTEOF ,,HYE"

STYLE Manoukinn, Kelinn

firms impress fashi,on world By AN! MANOUKIAN - PABIS

ext to wine and cuisine, fasluon is where good taste has to be in harmony with the Rhone Valley's beauty. Close to the city of the Romans about 100 miles south

of Lyon, t'wo Armenian families have

set

up their headquarters for thriving businesses

that have distinguished them as leaders in the fashion world.

As crowds basked in the hot July sun along the French countryside to watch the Tour de France, the Manoukians and the Kelian brothen were busy preparing for ttre l99l summer and fall fashion seasons. The Manoukians specialize in designing separates and the Kelians in shoes. Alain Manoukian, a small, energetic man with acherubic smile, heads theesablishment bearing his name. [n the past 15 years, more than 3m "Alain Manoukian" stores have opened in France and another 150 in other countries throughout the world. Jumpers, tee-shirts, jackets, ffousers and skirts, all

bearing the Alain Manoukian ftademark, have become so popular that even the French

telephone company has printedphone cards Alain tulanoukian strikes a pensive mood in his otftce

with the brandname on iL The nerve center of Alain Manoukian's qeratiurs is ftepalatial I 85ft ctrateau siUrared on acres of rolling green lawns at Tain I'Hermitage. His creations blend the classic with the flamboyant, but always remain distirrt While charirg with ttrc nored designer in his plain, white office, we leamed the secret of his success: Manoukian's claim o fame is his ability to combine a keen sense of fashion with business acumen. Alain introduced us to his Belgian wife Danielle, an atftactive blonde, who assisB him, along with his parents, in operating the $lzl0 million business. "She takes care of the desiping part of tlre business," said the

proudhusband.

A day earlier, French television crews had filmed the Manoukians for a documentary on couples who operate large businesses together. According to statistics, not many couples survive the trials andtibulations of working so closely together. "I must afrnit

it's not easy," said Danielle. But

the

Manoukians' suc@ss proves they are the exception to the rule. For Alain, the most sacred part of the chateau is the chapel adjoining his office. Prominently displayed are reproductions of Etchmiadzin and His Holiness Catlrolicos Vazken I. IManoukian's establishment was the first in France to send fourplaneloads of relief supplies to Armenia immediately after the December 1988 quake and Alain visited his homeland in January 1989. Asked about the possibility of starting a hsiness in Yerevaq Alain said tE has oeend a shop in Moscow, the firstprivately owned

business there.

also have a team (of

Armenians ftom Ranoe) in Moscow stdying further expansion, but Yerevan, I'm afraid, is along way off"Alain said.

Alain Manoukian's auturnn-winter 1990. 91 catalogue features a dezzling mixture of European country desrgns with elegant cuts and oriental color blends that come under stream lirrcs of Angelina Militafue, Modemisr and Byzance. His clients are frorn widely sryaated cities of fte wodd inchding LisbGL Tokyq Mosoow md Manphis. IManoukian's original creations have a charm that appeals to all. h ttrc Angelina collection, ttrc fragrance of annrn penneares fte design of hejwrpem, feanring floral embroideries. The matching

shawls and gloves enhance the rural mot'rf. The soft colon of the cardigans emphasize the feminine ouch. The Militaire collection for men feanres dual-colored vests and the

AlM, September 1990

tri

M e"r, Lf

ru '.,ff{h

il-,Cs':'r.r'

london

and most European cities. carry out the strategic orientation of the

business;

am not an expert on

st5/1e,"

Stephane admitted. He went on to explain how he hel@ develq srarcgies to imgove the business. One of them, put into action last year, resulted in a 50 -percent increase in profits. Kelian inroduced two new brands of strces ftis year - Miss Maud and Mosquito. The lauer is in the lower-price range, aimed specifically for the younger clientele.

"Accessories, which include handbags, jewelry andperfirmes also arefeatured in our shops," Kelian said. "But the key to our success is the handcrafting skill that goes into our shoes."

belts,

Sbphane Kelian ln hls office classic

cutof *rctousers make ttrcrn atlractive

and elegant at the same time.

The Byzance collection seems to be of Armenian origin. The colors are like the

autumnal reflection

of an Armenian

countryside, with V-neck cuts and gold embroidery ttrat add charm to any figure. Modemiste collection is for ttre young at heart, featuring short skirts and marching blouses.

Alain and Danielle Manoukian are the proud parents of two. Their son David, 15, speaks Armenian fluently, anddaughterSeta 18, is expecting to join the business soon.

Alain, the son of an immigrant from the Middle East, said" "I am pleased tlnt, though

my shops,

am able to perpetuate the

Armenianname."

Both Alain Manoukian and Stephane Kelian (Keloglanian) are companies tlnt are listed in the Lyon Stock Exchange since ilre mid1980s. Manoukian owns 31 percent of his firm's stock, while Kelianowns 38.8 percent of his firm's stock. Stephane Kelian is a rurme that every fashion-conscious person would definitely recognize. Shoes, and more specifically, exquisitely hardcrafted ones, are 0te specialty of Kelian Brothers. Their factory is across the riverfrom thecity of Romans, inBourgde-Peage, France. We were wannly greeted at the door by Stephane Kelian, 48, tlrc tall, suave proprietor

of the $50 million enterprise, whose stylish creations are displayed in the windows of boutiques in Paris, New York, Washington,

Kelian's plant produces 1,6fl) pairs of shoes daily

Kelian shoedesigns

Gerar( is responsible for the beautifully styled footwear produced in the Kelian plant at the rate of 1,600 pairs Stephane's brother,

aday. For the past 34 years, Gerard has supervised

the production, designing and training of employees. Stephane, the youngest of three b,rothers, said his parents wanted him to become a doctor, but things tumed out differently. In a l5-minute television documentary about the Kelian family's success story, their 85yer-oldrnotrErcloses theprogramby sayrrg, '"Turk, you ried to kill us, but look - my children have made it!" The Manoukians and ttre Kelians have

made an outstanding name for themselves because they have the key ingredients for success - confidence in themselves and confidence in

theirpoducts.

AlM, September 1990 &l^&

Bank Audi (CALIFORNIA)

BANK AUDI

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444 South Flower Street

14th Floor Los Angeles, California 9OO71 Phone: (2t3) 527-7799

Fox: (213) 627-1033

Bank Audi

E-mn 6(X) Fnh

Avenue

23rd Flool Nelv York, N.Y. lm20 Phone: (21213O7 5577 Fox (212) 307 5591

73, Avenue des Chomps-Elysees 75008 Poris

2, Rue Mosrct P. O. Box 3&(

Fronce Phone:422575OnJ

l2l IGenevol2, Swilzerlond

tox:425609

Phone: (022) 47 35 00 Fox (022) 47 3329

TURKEY IN THE NEWEUROPE

UN Commission for Human Righs,

and tlrc Helsinki Warch. The latest Amnesty rcport in May said torture and other human rights abuses continued unabaterl in Turkey---+ix months afterthe

Chnnge inWorld Ordcr Compels Anlura to Reassess Economic, Political Relations wiftin trp Alliance, Trukey

By RAFFI SHOUBOOKIAN

Convention Against Tornue.

was irdispensable

to the West Now, as the Warsaw Pact is in tafiers md tte Soviet tfueat is waning difficult

hange in Eastem Europe and

the Soviet Union has made Turkey face a bitter irony played or it by nroderr history. As the rest of the world rejoices at the collapse of dicatonhips and the new spirit of fipedom and peaceful coexistence, the republic founded almost 70 years ago by MusafaAumkfinds itelfpoisedatatming point that has evoked grim-memories of tlri breakup of the Ottoman Empire. Twkey is not only grap,pling with major intemal policy challenges, but it is also stmggling to find an identity in the new

Euope. Sinnrcd at tlp center of tlrc European,

govenrrutpqmedrrcw sdeguads

and two years after signing the UN

questions loom as to Turkey's role in tlp new geopolitical configttration. To make matten worse, the upheavals in Eas@m Europe coincided with the Euopean

Another stumbling block is tlrc country's economic backwardness, with a per-capita GNPfarbelow the level of even thepoorest members of the EC. On average, Turkish economic development is only one-third of the EC average. After years of growth, the Ankara's experiment with an exportdriven marketeconomy is besetby problems such as a 70 percent inflation.

Ttseisals thesizeofTldey'spqtrlatin-

Community's rejection of Turkey's application for early membership; on the home front tlrc rapid spread of Islamic

expecrcd to rerch 70 million by the year

Fundamentalism and the mounting political

Euopean country. Eurqeau fer s\ilarms of Tutish nufters wonld flmd their labor

violence have prompted fean

of a

slide back into the chaos that caused the army to

seizepowerin 1980.

2([0, urdgrowing seadily after thatdate, ovennhelming ttrc gowttr of any otlrc,r rnaket Citing those political and economic

Draconian new resuictions on the p,ress

curditions, the EC's executive body last

and sweeping powers for the security forces fighting the Kurdistr rcbellion in tlp southeast

propitious to opening membership

have increased criticism that the county is deliberately tuming its back on tlre type of

negotiations before 193 at fte earliesr The commission said it also looked at the effects

Decernber said it

will not

be in a position

of Twkish membership in tre context of developments within the EC, which is working to abolish its internal barriers to the tree movement of tnade, services, capltal,

of 192. Areportdrawn up by the C-ommission in 1988 estimated that Tirkish membenhip in the EC would entail a burden of 6 billion ECUs @uropean Currency Units) on that and people by the end

organization.

kr July ttte EC arnounced that Ausfia would be tlp fint county admitted to the Cqrmrmity after German reunification, This infuiated Trnftey, which officially applied to join tlre community before Austria, in April 1987. Austria would be followed by

Hungary, and later

The r€cent Gull Crisis, however, brorEtth

Tu*st/s sbabglc lmpoftance badt to iorcfipnt

Asian, Middle Eastern, and African crwmds, it gained irnportance as an ouQct of Westm defense on the souttpastem flank of NATO dring tre cdd war. Is imporance

inoeased even nrore under the concept of

flexible response adopt€d in NATO in the late '60s, in the period of detente ttnt followedthe cold war. t}rc

Fcrrculy fourdecades successive Tukish govannrcnts fully used treir brgaining lever in the assurnqion that, as a ftont-line counfiy

democratic reforms taking place elsewhere

inEurope. The direcors of tlre C-ouncil of Europethe representative body of the 23 nations of

Westem Europe-still receive at their Strasbourg trc@uart€rs dozens of reports of human rights violations in Tukey ftorn such intemational groups as The Swiss Committee Against Torture, Amnesty Intemational, the Foundation for Twkish Human Rights, Defense for Childnen, the

AlM, September 1990

Poland and

Czechmlovakia" The EC pr€sident descdbed ttrc Europe of fte firture as consisting of four concentric circles; Tukey was omiued even frsn the outermost circle. Sincelast Septernbea the EC has signed economic accords with Hrmgary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Ronaniq liberalizing rade witlr tlrese rebom democracie$. The EC commission also exp,ressed its

concern about Turkey's relationship with Cfleece.

Thecr€dr 'tba"intoBc

Neighboring &e€ce has said

oppose

Tu*ish

it would

membership in the EC for

the Balkan and

as long as Tiukey maintaind 30,000 roops on Qpmrs, which it invaded n 1974. ln addition, tlre nvo Aegean countries are at odds over temitorial waters, oil drilling

partrrcrs.

miliarization of tlre Greek islands in the

President Ozal is peddling the idea of a

rights, sharing of airspace and the

Aegean. Relations withGermany have also soured lately. The two countries are cunently at loggerheads over a nurnber of issues, the latest being a rumpus over espionage by their respective intelligence services. The Tuks still feel aggrieved over Germany's

unwillingness to back their bid for EC nrcmbership, and are

fearfril{E

the fate

million Turkish workersh a united Germany under pressure to find jobs and 1.4

housing for Germans.

RelatftmswithUS Refening specifically to tre United States,

columnist

Ali Birand wrote in Milliyet

"Westem circles are conveying the nressage

Ont the period of military aid to Ankara is gradually coming to a close." In June, tlrc White House did not lift a finger as tlre US House Appropriations Committee decided to divert hundreds of millions of dollars sought for key NATO allies to Eastem European and sub-.Saharan African nations. The allied nation chosen by the subcommittee to take the largest single

cut happened to be Turkey. The Adminisration's 1991 request for military sales to Turt<ey was actually $315 million less than had been sup,plied in fiscal year 1989; were it tully tunde4 the $545 million

songhtforthenextfiscal yearwouldrcfsent the lowest level of US assisance to Tukey sought by an administration since 1981.

A concurrent announcement by the Voice of America that itmay sartb,roadcasting in Kurdish came as a slap in Turkey's face. As if that werenot sufficieng in early July tlrc US signed a defense teaty with Turkey's

nemesis-Greece-with

clause

guranbeing fte tenitorial integrity of Greece against armed attack or threal Alttrough Turkey was not mentioned by name, Ankarzr was enraged and demanded explanations. The decline of Turkish influence is equally evidentinfte golections forEurope's fuure: Whether viewed from London, Brussels or

Moscow,

Turtey's position in t}p old

continent's institutiural scheme risks of being increasingly maryinal.

Where does this leave Turkey? The Eulqean C-unmunity's polite rebuttal and being treated as a second+lass citizen in the West are making Turks consider the Third World and the East bloc, especially

Transcaucasian reprblics,

alEmative

Black Sea zone of economic cooperation, embracing Turkey, tlre

SovietUnion, Bulgaria and Romania tmports of gas from the USSR

piped

in over the

Bulgarian border since 1987 are due to reach six billion cubic meters bythemid-1990s. The Soviets have signed a

EC hedquaftrs ln Brussels in whlch Tud<ey seeks memberchlp

total of $1.2 billion worttr of tade deals as of July, and it is expected to rcach $2 billion by ttre end of

undertake against

haq. The US military

tlrc year.

base at

krcirlik in

eastem Turkey would be

Tukey-Eastbloc tade volume was already in 1989 to $2 billion, of which $1.3 billion was with Moscow. In May, Turkey finalized its membership in tlre Asian Development Bank and sarted work to become member of the African DevelopmentBank.

used as a launch pad for American F-15 fighters in such an eventuality.

trp 43Vo

New rolein MiddleEast Acknowledging his county's decline, Ozal in July said Turkey has other possibilities; namely, its role as an East-West bridge in the Middle Easr The same point has been hammered in newspaper columns and statements by govemment

officials. As one

any military option that the US might

Aldrough Ozal closed his county's borders

wift haq, he was reluctant to bow !o US and European pressure to shut down ttre pipeline, apparently not wanting to alienarc his Arab neighbors. Ankara decided to shut down the Kirkuklskenderun pipeline only

after the UN Secwity Council voted for economic sanctions against Iraq. Following ilre rebuff from ttrc Europeans, tlrc Anb world is being cutsidered apossible altemative by many conservative groups in

Turkey.

"Ttrkey's role should

be to lead the

Islamic

world into the formation of a Muslim creafed in the

Middle East

as a result

of tlte

relaxation of tensions between the superpowers... The United States needs policing by Turkey in order to fill this vacuum." According o rctired Admiral Tanju Errdem, '"The global threat has reduced the general tlreat of war, but regional conflicB exist in the belt where Tukey is located." Turkey's global military sftategic value may diminish to a degree, Erdem stated, but its strategic value in this geographical location will not diminish. The oil-rich Persian Gulf to the southeast and Turkey's own straits

Dardanelles are of vital imporance to the West and the Soviet Union, respectively. This viewpoint was made patently evident afterhaq's invasiurof Kuwaitin early August

Turkey came under Westem prressure to shut down the northwest pipeline which runs through Tukey and through which Iraq exports some 1.6 million banels of cmde oil daily to the outside world. Turkish cooperation was also considered viAl in AlM, September 1990

common market" said a leader of the rightwing Welfarc Farty. But most Turks mnsider ttre Muslim options are limited because of srained relations with Ixan, Syria and haq. In the past Twkey has been keen not to dismb relations with the countries in the

region, behaving most cautiously toward regional issues such as the han-Iraq war, the inter-Arab dispute, and the Palestinian question. But now she finds herself in a

dilemma: accommodating Western expectations of herrole in theregion would shake the foundation of sensitive relations she has develo@ with the Arab world. On the other hand, not doing so could damage hercredibility in the Wesr '"Turkey will take its righftl place in tlre Europe of the funrc," one Foreigr Ministry

undersecretary said recently, but many perceptive Turks are not as much optimistic. They are haunted by tlre feeling thathistory could leave Turkey behind.

Turkey as "the lion guarding the Dardanelles" no longer exists.

The First Post-Gold War Grisis Will the lraqi invasion put an end to Baghdad's re gi,onnl superpow er status

become one of the major winners of the kaqi invasion. The U.S., in a move to strengthen its allies in tlre Middle East and counter the Iraqi strongman's ambitions, will most likely increase its military aid o Turkey, which was lately wonied about its dwindling snategic role in the aftermath of

fte U.S.-Soviet rapprochement. kaq, after swallowing up Kuwait and securing 20 percent of the world's known oil resewes, is probably contemplating a akeoverofttpotherdef€nseless o+poOring sheilfidoms o boost its share of the oil markel It all d€pends on how seriously the big industrialized nations will sustain the sanctions ttrcy have imposedonkaq. Iraq had steadily demanded modifications

of the Kuwaiti-Iraqi boundary, and just discourage Baghdad to storm Saudi Arabia when Saddam Hussein deems it necessary. If Iraq moves beyond Kuwait and invades oil-rich Saudi Arabia it will most prrobably resuh in an allout war involving U.S. and other allied forces. With Saudi consent and as a cautionary move to deter any Iraqi plan

By VAHE TGHARKHOUDIAN he military btuff of lraqi President Saddam Hussein swiftly evolved into a &eadful and agonizing kafkaesque nighfinare-tumed{eality when kaqi fioops drrove across fte sands of tiny oil-rich comtry of Kuwait andcontolled much of it in less

to attack Saudi Arabia, the American FesidentGdexod tE @oynsttdthosads of U.S. seinicemen into Saudi Arabia. But

ttnnaday. The world was flabbergasted and jolted by the daring military escapade of tlrc Iraqi stmgman. A few days before the invasion, Saddam Hussein had pomised Egyptian President Muhrak tlnt his troops will not arack Kuwait The pledge was made bdore the breakdown of alks between kaq and

E 4

recently had asked for tlp writingoff of Kuwait's wartime loans. Dning kaq's eightyear war against lran, Kuwait lent some $10 billion to Baghdad. Prresident Hussein also threatened to use force against Arab states whose oil policies were "stabbing kaq in tlrc back" The Kuwaitis have been victims of Iraqi stsurg-arm tactics before. Parts of tlre shared

borderare undefined (trc kaqis lasttried an invasion n For the past two years tlrc haqis have been pressing Kuwait to lease them Bubiyan island, a desolate sandbank at tlrc head of the Gulf. Kuwait refused, fearing that a lease would neverbe glven up, and tnt handing over Bubiyan could revive lraq's claims to the whole of

lnr.

Kuwait

Kuwait aimed at resolving the conllict

the Iraqi aggression and the major

At the lastOPEC's meeting both Kuwait and tlre United Arab Ernirates agrced to curb the flagrant overp,roduction tnt has undermined tlp cartel's attempts to move

indusfialized nations promptly imposed a

prices up over the past few years.

rade and oil embargo on baq, and froze

han and haq, the region's military giants, fre r€mning to the anned peace ftat Feceded the fall of ttte Shah n 1979. Desperate to eam more from their oil exports, they have been using a mixtr,ue of threas and insults

benreen tlre two Arab counfries. The intemational community condemned

Kuwaiti and haqi assets in their countries. This boycor could have dire consequences on tlre already aippling Iraqi econorny. The Soviet Union, France, and China said tlrcy will suspend arms shipments to Baghdad.

All th€e

countries are considered haq's

major arms suppliers, However,

tlre

world community does not stictly enforce ttre embargo it could not have tlp desired

Iraqi president Itis

Saddam Husseln challengss

$e urorld

any U.S. military intervention intended o pose apotential threat to tlrc well+quipped and l-million-man shong lraqi army (tlrc world's fourth largest my) wltt require

probable that the major Westem powers will re.sort to blockade if the embargo proves

the deployment of over 300,000 servicemen in the battle zone. Saudi Arabia, the guardian of Islam's holy

ineffeaive.

places, does not feel comfortable with the

effecton ttrc

highly

The U.S. has critical economic

and

diplomatic stakes in this crisis. The Anprican military force in the Penian Gulf was beefed up. Baghdad massed tens ofthousands ofroops on the Saudi border.

Iast year, Saudi Arabia signed a nonaggression pact wittr kaq, but it will not 30

U.S. military deployment

ino is terriory.

The decision might alienate tlrc Muslim world who will see the American military p,resence

in Saudi Arabia as a sacrilege.

In response to a worldwide embargo on Iraqi oil, Tukey blocked the flow of Iraqi oil passing across its tenitory. Anlmra will AlM, September 1990

ofqcethetrronraverickslpikhdqns, Kuwait and the U.A.E., to comply with OPEC's quotas. Each $l rise in the price of banel adds some $3.5 billiur a year to theircoffen. haqirrcunedurestimated$80billiqrfoeigl debt during ttrc eighryear war against trran, while Kuwait sank $ billior into overseas investrnents. This salient gap maddeningly vexed Saddam Hussein who felt ttnt the potracted.war with kan was ir$lieted upon him by other counties in order to inpovaish his nation. kaq lost more men in the war wittr han tlmn all ttrc Arabs lost in all the wars against Israel. Iraq needs to rebuild itself, and has only its oil revenues to pay forimports and service is foreign debt.

Iraq emerged from tlre struggle witr its econony still mlvageaHe, despie an inflatiur rate of 22 percent and a huge foreigr debg and confident of a p,rosperous oil-assisted

fuffie. The end of trc Gulf War and ttre death of Ayatollah Khomeini have allayed fean of Iran's revolution contaminating tlp Arab sheikndsns of ttrc Gulf who ae now rneitting relations wittr kan. During the Gulf War, the Gulf C-ooperation Council states poured an estimated $4O billion into ttre haqi war

effut the

However,tre wartirne allimrcebetrveen

Gulf Arabs and Imq is now over.

Iraq and Kuwait had been under the British mandate until they becanrc sovereign natius.

It is evident that the colonial British policy was instnrmental in heaking up the Arab world, especially the oil-rich Gulf region which accounts for more than half of t}rc world's known oil reserves, into small sheikhdoms. The objective of this fragmentation was to ward off the creation of a strong Arab country controlling much of the supply of the world and making the Westhoshgp offt,atcounty's leader's whims. Prrcsident Bush's atternptto unite the

world's

democracies andothen inchecking the kaqi stnongman's expansionist appetites is aimed at averting the inception of such a powerfi.rl

oil-rich country. The haqi leader energetically excoriated ttp U.S. for arming and supporting Israel, and rcpeated his waming that any Israeli srike against haq would be met by equal force. Moreover, at an Arab mini-summit in February hesident Hussein suggested reviving the use of oil as a potent weapon with which o punish the U.S. for its support

ofIsrael. Attacking Israel has once again become the most reliable means by which an Arab stnongman can tum himself into a pan-Arab trero. krtris curtext, haq's anti-Isaeliftetoric has made president Hussein one of tlp Arab world's most respected leaders since ttre late Egyptian President Nasser. The haqi srongman enpys wide popularity among Palestinians in Jordan and the Israeliocctpied enitories. Kuwait has *uee foreigr residens-mainly Palestinians and Jordaniansfor every two Kuwaitis. More than 3m,0m Palestinians reside in Kuwait and financially

help the Palestinian uprising in the Israelioccupied West Bank and Gaza Srip. Iraq's assault on Kuwait has split the Arab world. Egypl Saudi Arabia and Syria have condemned Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. Libya and the PLO have refused to denounce the kaqi attack, Jorrdan is adopting awairand-see attitude and is trying to glue the shattered Arab world.

uEwlromr Umrmrmg Tulrey's Boil! 3n:$ulf Gonfrict Ey lllHrT8l38ollrril Regardless of lpw the confr,onatior betrpeen Iraq and the United States ends, orp counrycan alrcady claim victory. Turkey has won fte propagnrda wr by ooducting a wellslculaed campaigrr of and disinformation designedto milk tre kaq-Kuwait conflict o its rrraximum advantage.

@it

TheTurkishgovemmentledtrewestb believe*ratithasmadegreatwrificesrisking its national security and tE oorntry's ecmnyi Ttre Tu*ish lead€rs claimed they strut down dp two pipelines trat crry oil ftom haq tlrough Tukey to tre Mediteranean" Tlrcy said their counry would be losing arurd $400 millior a year in royalties for trese pipelines Tirkey further claimed that it was risking a retaliatory military aftack bD, Iraq becsuse of its participation in trc economic blockade of ftat country. The Tud<s said they took those.*bold actions" in reryonse to rcquests ftorn the U.S., Westem Europe and tte United Nations at tlre expense of tlrcir national interese. Prcsident George Bush, in his eaguness to counEr haq's Saddam Hussein, lrcaped lavish praise on Turkey and ofter murties in tnt region, irrcluding Syria and lran, fon "being on our side". The Presidsrt rceeatedly refened to Turkey as "our staunch ally" deserving oru gratitude and support ttre even disparched U.S. SecrEtary of State Jarrcs Baker to Anka'a furtlrer highlighting Turkey's 'fiositive" role in this conflicr Taking ttphehre frun the Prcsident, tre U.S. mediq nudgedby ttre American public relations firms working forT[rkey, pryidd extensive coverage o its "heroid'actions under these '!ery difficult circumstances." The facts about Turkey's true role, tpvrcver, were rarely disclosed. Rather tlmn pnsue lofty humaniarian objectives, Tirkey was engaged in a self-serrring scheme to bolster ib diminishing sEategic significance in tlnt part of the wmld. In a clever move, the Tiutish President was able to maximize his country's gains while eliminating all risls. Turkey will neither lose is royalties from the piplines mrrisk an invasion by lra&. T[rkey, in fact, did not shut down t]re oil pipelines. During ar August 3 meeting in Ankara with Tu*ish kesident Ozal, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister told him trat kaq itsef was shufiing down the pipelines because resricting the flow of oil was in Baghdad's interest Afterall, the wholepurpose of invading Kuwait was to inqease theprice of oil by limiting its availability. Turkey, therefore, was able to look good in ftont of the West, witlrout having to take any action on the pipelines, i.e., witrout antagonizing kaq. Neverttreless, Turtey did ask and

received a specific cornrnitrnent firom NATO o defend its borders from any anack PrresidentOzalfurthercapialized on thismisreprcsentationby geuingtheKuwaiti Ernir to repay Twkey hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for the loss of *rc pipeline royalties. [n addition, Tiukey violated the U.N.-sanctioned embargo by siphoning off oil ftom [aq's pipelines under ttre pretext of collecting overdue debts. Why was Tukey so eager to r€prcsent itself as a champion of Westem interests? Because it wants to recast itself in anew role following the loss of its taditional stat€gic value with the collapse of Communism. A "new and impr,oved" Turkey would swindle additional billions of dollars from the West and make possible its entry into the Common Marker The Trxkish govemment wastd no time in asking ffre Secretary of State Baker to write a lemer to the Europeans urging tlem to admit Tukey. Baker has already complied We see ttrat far from carrying a heavy burden for the West, Turkey has rnanaged to extractmadmumbenefits foritself in tlpmidstof this conflicr Tukey willno doubtty o capitalize on its 'livotal" role, just as it has been milking its minor participation in ttre Korean conflict for the past ,lO yean. Turkey's objective then was to join NATO. Its objective now is to gain entry to the European

C-ommunity.

kaq's blitzkrieg on Kuwait

reminiscent

a multinational force in the Gulf region to

of Hitler's &ive to aggrandize Nazi Germany

thwart Saddam Hussein's lust for more

in the 1930s. The German dictator did not encounter any serious opposition in his expansionist schemes. In the Gulf crisis, the West, ledby the U.S., is trying to gather

economic and military power. The Westem democracies do not wanttorcpeatthe costly

AlM, September 1990

miscalculations which had led

Wartr.

World

MONTHS IN REVIEW l0 groups will ravel to kan from Yerevan via ttre Yerevan-[rninakan-Kars road.

STEPANAKERT-

August2

July 14

All

30 people crew members

passengers and four - 26aboard a small airliner were killed when- the Yakovlev - zl0 aircraft

carrying them from Yerevan to Stepanakert crashed in heavy fog in the L^achin district of Azeftaijan, 12 miles west of tlrc Karabagh capital.

Yevgenia Ishkhanian, tlrc manager of the Stepanakert regional airport, was

killed in a

bombexplosion ftat desroyed herhome in Khojalu, near the Karabagh capital. Her son was seriously injured in the blast" while her husband escaped with slight injuries.

July 9 Five shareholding enterprises pooled tlrcir

The Armenian Ministry of Culnre had

financial rcsources togetherto set up in the Armenian capital trc lvlasis commercial bank tlte fint fully independent bank in ttrc republic. The bank is expected to faciliate

decided to rename trc Alexan&e Miyasnikian

State Library

named after a Bolshevik

&ug money tlrough the downtown jewelery

district and local banks, as part of

intemational conspiracy that also involved Latin Americans. Two weeks previously, five other Armenians were charged in the same case for funneling more than $ZO millior in drug murcy. The murcy-larndering investigation by federal agents resulted in the arest of 3l people in Los Angeles, New York and Uruguay in February 1989.

ATHENS,GrreceJuIy 31

The 4th Intemational Jamboree of the

YEREVAI{

July3l

of laundering about $96 million in illicit

Hunenefnen closed with afrletic toumrnent ard festivities at the Aya lvlaia campgrounds, near the Greek capital. About 500 athletes ftorn 16 cotmties, including SovietArmenia took part in ttrc lGday event

rctivis-asfteNatioral Ijbary ofArmenia

Established in Yerevan 160 yean ago, the library has around 800,000 volumes.

infroduction of free-market economy in Armenia and the spread of new forms of economic management and the effective

July 19

integratiuroftrcrcpublic inothe intemaliqrd trademarket.

West concluded a threeday intemational

LOSANGELES-

was hosted by the Schml of Orienal & African Studies of the University of london and tlrc Society for Crnral Asian Studies.

ETGHil]ADZ!i'JuIy 2I)

Citing security reasons and the unstable conditions in Armenia the Holy See of Erctnniadzin indefinitely pospmed tlrc mass baptism of thousands of Armenians in [:ke Sevan which was scheduled for July 22. The Catholicosate said the baptism of an e$imared I 0,000 people could be rcsche&led

once favorable conditions prevailed. The mass baptism would have been ttre frnt in Soviet history and the first for Armenia since the nation adopted Christianity in 301

A.D.

July 19 Party First Secretary Vladimir Movsisyan appeared on Armenian television and announced that Soviet Council of Ministers has agreed on the

zone

creationof afteeeconomic

in the Armenian republic. Stepan

Sitarian, deputy to Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov, told ArmenPress news agency that Armenia has been given local authority to sign economic agreemens and

establish commercial ties with foreign countries.

July 18 The finttouris grupof23 ltanian-Anrrcnians to visit the homeland since Ayatollah Khorneini canre to power anived in Yerevan, using the l,eninakan-Kan (through eastem Turkey) highway. Starting in September, 32

LONDO}I About 25 scholan ftun Arnpnia Azerbaijan and Georgia and an equal numberfromthe conference on the modem histo,ry, politics and society of the Caucasus in tlp British capital. Prof. Richard Hovarurisian of UCLA and hof. Ronald Suny of ttre University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, were among the participants from the US. The oonference

August 19 The 9ttr AGBU North American Olympian Games tmkplace atOccidental College in lns Angeles with the participation of 500 athletes representing 15 chapters frrom USA and Canad4 as well as two teams frrom

July9

Homenmen Pasadena as guest participants. [.os Angeles chapterwon theoverall trophy.

A 707 cargo plane of the United Armenian fimd rrived in the lranian capital carrying

SEATTLEWastritrgton

August5 Armenian athletes of the Soviet tearn walked away with two gold, two silver and three

bronze medals at the close of the l99O G'oodwill Games. At least eight Soviet Armenian attrletes competed in fourgames during $e 17 days: boxen Arthur Grigorian (gold), Israel Hakopkot<trian (gold), Mekhak Ghazarian (bronze) and Nshan Munchyan (bronze); fieestyle wrestlers Gnel Mejlumian and Stepan Sargsyan (bottr silver), andlongjwnperRobertErnmian (bronze). DverArsen Savatyan failed to pass the frst round.

LOSAIIGELESAugust3 A federal grandjury indictedfourArmenian jewelen fiorn the Los Angeles area or charges

AlM, September 1990

supplies donated by various U.S. companies to the victims of tlre eardrquake. The airlift of medical supplies, food and clodring wortr $4 million was handed over !o the hanian

Red Crescent. The UAF, an umbrella organization of seven different AmericanArmenian organizations, acted in response to the Iranian-American Society.

LOSANGELESJuly 8 For the first time in its ls-year history, the Westem U.S. Homenefrnen Navasartian Games saw the participation not only of other organizations, but also a team from the newly sanctioned Homenefrnen chapter

in Yerevan, Soviet Armenia

Competing

in the four-day annual event were morc than 500 athletâ&#x201A;Źs and 160 teams from Homenefinen chapters in United States,

andAusfraliA the Homenmen and the youth organizations of the Armenian Evangelical and Catholic communities. Canada

Dedicated to the centennial of ttre Armenian

Revolutionary Federation, the games

tSiTANBUJune29

The acting Patriarch of the Armenian community in Istanbul received a new govemment decree which reverses the

concluded with a festival and a parade in

previous regulations issued

which 4,000 athletes marched in the Glendale High School stadium.

revised guideline removes most

PRAGUE, @echoslovakia July4

The the

obstacles and limitations to the election the new Patriarch, scheduled for Sept. 5.

were among some 50 Soviet dissidents and exiled activists who participated in a public conference, billed as "The Peacefrrl Road to

in the Czech capital.

June26 There were no Armenian victims in the eartlquake tlnt hit northem kan, but the Armenian school building in the town of Rasht suffered damage, while the dome structure of the Armenian church in Qazwin

was severely damaged. The l2-member

The participants were welcomed at the opening by Czech hesident Vaclav Havel. The threeday conference was organized and opened by Hayrikian and fellow dissident Gennadi Burhrilis, spokesman for trc anti&actrev

Soviet Armenian rescue team, "Spitak," was among the first to arrive in the disaster area, while Armenians worldwide responded to the calamity in Iran with substantial relief

interregional group within the Soviet

BUEI{OSAIRES

Parliament. Kocharian, representing the Armenian National Movement, delivered a special report on the situation in Karabagh.

June 25 The Armenian community in the Argentine

assistance.

capital welcomed

tuee-member delegation from Soviet Armenia headed by Prrof. Sergei a

Hambardzumian, rector of Yerevan State University. The purpose of the visit was to

The Ernbassy of the Soviet Union in ttre British capital hosted a reception honoring

Aires University, in line with similar

album "Earthquake: Rock Aids Armenia," a recording which had sold more tran I m,0m copies as of July, making it the frst time in recording history that a benefit album has become gold. Theembassy presented Golden Disc awards to the rock superstars involved in the humanitarian project, which included:

Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Queen and ["ed Zeppelin.

LOSANGELESJuly 3 Catholicos Karekin II concluded his monthlong tour of North America and retumed to Antelias after presiding over the consecration

sign a cooperarion agleement with

fie Buenos

agreements made with the universities Montpellier in France and the Universify Michigan in the United States.

of of

sAl{FBAl{CtSOO

[3 Hurricane Hugo ttr USSR Gas Explosion

fumenian Earthquake

tF Hunicane

tr tr tr tr Disaster reliel,

June3 Visiting Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev had a b,rief meeting with Califomia Govemor

wherever-whenever.

George Deukmejian at the Soviet Consulate in San Francisco. During the "mini-summit," Deukmejian spoke to his Soviet guest about the plight of ttre Armenians in Karabagh and Armenia and presented him with a

Please help us... to keep on helping.

personal letter. Around 3,000 Califomia

1.800.666.HOPE

Armenians held around-the-clock

demonstrations in frrurt of theconsulate during Gorbachev's two-day stay in ttre ciry.

use vour credit card or send a check to:

of three new churches in the Armenian communities of Douglaston, New York; Toronto, Canada and Chicago. While in Califomia, His Holiness had an official visit with Govemor George Deukmejian in Sacramento. Following the meeting, the

Armenian Intemational Collegethe only Armenian institution of higher -leaming in

govemor issued

the Westem Hemisphere. The Arthur Dadian

circumstances."

Academic center will be built in tlrc Armenian architectural tradition, using the more than 40 tons of tufa stones donated by Armenia.

a statement urging Califomia Armenians to help the community in wartom l-ebanon "to overcome its unfortunate

Earthquake

Gilbert

LONDOl{ July3 the artists and technicians who volunteered their talens to record and package the

[7 San Francisco

Exiled dissident Paruyr Hayrikian, Artsakh Natiqral Council mernber Robert Kocharian and world chess champion Garri Kasparov

Democracy,"

in May.

LAVERNE,Galifomia May 20 Comerstone-laying ceremonies were held for tlre

fint academic building of ttre American

AlM, September 1990

16l Cherry St., New Canaan, CT 06840

The first to bring help The first to bring hope.

Lost Tribe"Of Armenians Discouered ln Jordanian Desert "

Muny tlescendants of't'it'tints rl the l9l5 Genocida have been found lit'ing as nativcs in isolated illag,cs of the Syrian and Jorclanian desert regions. This is an eycw,itness report of one such tlist'oven.

By ANNA OHANNESSIAN

I n August 1986, during my third one! -onril an*uopological ttieid tnp in I southem Jordan, I met Abu Gharib, the owner and only waiter of a small restaurant

in Wadi-Mousa. After

some casual

conversation he sat beside me and said. "My mother was Armenian." His candid statement took me by surprise. He was unaware that I also was an Armenian. The Bedouins knew me only as the French "doctorah" who studies Bedouin history. How could a Bedouin in the middle of this Arabian desert claim that his mother was Armenian? He told me what little he knew about his mother. He said she died when he was 4 and that "she was the most

beautiful woman in the village

...

she

knew how to sew, read, etc,"

Abu Gharib said my name "Anna" reminded him of his rnother's best friend who lived in Ma'an, a town 45 kilometers

south of Wadi-Mousa.

told him

I was

hand, another touched my elbow, felt my clothes. Then they invited me to visit their homes. "My mother was Armenian; come to my house, I have an Armenian book, a

Armenian and thal both my parents are Armenian, too.

After a long

"I knew it,"

srJence that seemed to

imply

Bible to show you." one of them

he said Arabs have a saying

that two-thirds of a child belong to his

said.

Some started telling their mothers' stories to the others and several began to weep.

matemal uncle.

The following day I went to Ma'an in All I had to go on was her

was deeply moved.

I visited five of

search of Arura.

their homes that day and wrote down

son's surnarre, after whom she was called, "Um Khalil," meaning "Mother of Khalil," but he was Hanem's son. I found the house without too much difficulty because it was

much as I could. But I had anived too late. All of their mothers had died, some as long as 15 years earlier. have retumed to Jordan each year since then and stayed for longer periods to continue my studies on the Bedouins of the southem region. Now I have exprurded my research to include a subject of greater interest. I visited all the families of Armenian descent in Ma'an and I have written this brief historical description the'1ost tribe of Bedouin Armenian-s in Ma'an."

in the "Hay al Arman" section, or

Amenian

quarter. Khalil's youngdaughter, who said both her grandmothers were Armenian. welcomed me and senl her brother to fetch

their l'ather. Meanwhile, thenews of my visit spread quickly. A dozen women came in, one after the other. One started to take my

AIM Map By V

ost of the Annenian women in Ma'an, a rernote village in the sou{hem area of thc

Jordanian clesert. were in 191-5 tiorn the Chomakhlou

cleportecl region of Caesarea. Dr. R. Der Nerssessian, who was a rnember ol'the exiled group, has

written about the rcign of terror that took place after a bornb exploded in an Armcniiu.r

home in the ncigl'rboring town ol'Evereg. Turkish authcx'ilics rounded up all the rrale adults who had not been conscriptcd lbr military service urd threw then in prison. The reuraining inhabitants of Chonu&hlou.

consisting o1'the elderly ancl women and children. werc ordered to leavc the village. .Acconlinq to Dr. Del Nelsscssilrn. rnore thm 1.ff)0 leti their homes with a few necessities ancl their hercls. Alier a 40-day trek ovcr rr-rggcd tenain. the eroup arrived in Alcppo, Syria. minirs ,0 nrenrbers who clicrl crrroute. Thcy boarlecl a lreight train hcaclccl lbr Damascus. whcrc 30 rnore cliecl

trl illrrc::.The

lernrrirrirrs victinrs wcrt'

Dr. Der Nerssessilm kept an accurate rccord of the

CAESAREA

numberofpenons sent to each In Ma'ar, in addition to the 15

Frs

ADANA T

farnilies from Chomikhlou.

ilANASH

there were some Annenians

from Kilis. Beilan and flromgla. In Wadi Mousa,

there were 4-50 refirgees from

Chomakhlou. The largest contingent of 750 persons- were sent to Shob.rk. Stricken by hunger ancl illness. tl're bedragglecl grcup was clescribed by T. E.

URK

of the various villages.

ALEPPO

FIIA

Chomakhlou -

Lawrencc as "arriving likc ghosts; the sight of them was

DEN

*DAMAISCUS

frightening."

The Armenian suruivors lived in abandoned ditapidatecl u lrteltouses. Dr'. Nclsrcssiltrt saicl the first months were

unbearable.

"Wc

sold

sepiu'atecl into tbur gr oups urcl sent to various

everythin_u we had: clothes.

dcstinations in Jorclan.

shoes, buttons,

IRAO

r5R

haipins. It was

AlM, September 1990

alruan

JbRD

,s.

a a

ft6 a

a a

there until 1919 before retuming to

Cilicia" Boghos Noubar Pasha, president of the Armenian delegation in Paris,

expressed his gratitude

to King

Hussein Sharif of Mecca for helping the Armenians.

About

Armenian

once was a trading center for the Bdouins. In 1904, tlre HijazRailway

Armenian is something abstnact and somehow

Timaksiaq opened

hotel in Ma'an.

It was called fte Hotel Petra and

hadbought." Meanwhilg the Armenian refugees resorted to eating grass to survive. An old Bedouin, who was 11 at the time, recalled ttrat in the village of Bussayarah more than l0 people died every day.An empty cistem became their pauper's grave. That cistem is still referedto as "Bir-al-Nassar4" (the Chrisfiars' well). Dr. DerNensessian said when they fint arrived, the Bedouins were unfriendly, but after they leamed the circumstances under

them.

After the death of the Armenians, those relatives stopped going to Maan and all the contacts withthis "descendents of Armenians" community was lost. Today, a small quarter on the outskirts of the town bears the name of the Armenian

the 1930s, an Armenian, Diran

located at the rai.lroad station. For almost 20 years, Hotel Pefa was a focal point for holiday events. Many of the Armenian women, with their children, celebrated Chrisfrnas

and Easter through Timaksian's hospitality. The hotel, which was closed

quite common to see Bedouin men weming the dresses of Armenian women and walking the sffeet to show off the new clothes they

CIunakhlou curyamiot's magazine publistred in New York), which enabled some in the United States and I-ebanon to find their relatrives and then travel to Ma'an to see

girls were manied to local Arabs and stayed in Transjordan.Later, most of them went to Ma'an and formed the core of the 'lost tribe' currently living there. Ma'an is a small oasis town that

connected Ma'an to Damascus. In

Abu Gharib, son ot Florc (Annenian)

taken in Maan, as well as theirnames of all the Armenians in fukeos Magazine (tlrc

Quarter, and

for its inhabitants being

mythified. They are Arabs, yet Armenians enough to care and worry about Armenians. I renrmed to Wadi-Moussa last year to find Abu Gharib in a sad mood. "Why are you so sad?" I asked. '1 grieve formymotherand all Armenians," he replied. "First, the Turts made them sufler and then expelled them. My mother came here and died. We were bom and enjoyed life here. Armenia was becoming

which the Armenians were tortured and deported, they became friendly and more hospitable. As the Armenians became better acquainted with the residents, they starte<l to work at small jobs. They did sewing and

ginding, baking, shoe repairing, etc. In Tafileh, the Armenians opened alimestone quary ard produced maferial to build houses. They also planted vegetables that were unknown to the Bedouins. In 1917, the great Arab revolt led by Sharif Hussein put an end to the Ofioman rule in Jodan After the complete witlrdrawal of Ottoman forces from Transjordan, the Armenians were senttoJerusalem, with the help of the Sharif Hussein, and then to Port

commemorate the Great Arab Revolt. In 1958, Dr. Der Nerssissian went on a to Jerusalem and then crossed the Jordan river and retumed, for the first

Sai{ where tlrc British Red

time since 1917,

Cross had set

Zohra ard Ghaslbe daughters of

tlaitarnardArn+ wtth daughteru and glandson

down in the 1970s, is a landmark and there

are plans to make

it a museum to

the footsteps of his

up amajorrcfugee camp. Dr. DerNerssessian

deportation. Soon after Dr. Der Nerssissian

reported 110 Chomakhlou refugees lived

publistrod his uavel accounB with photographs

AlM, September 1990

well and we were happy. But tlren everytrring went wrong - the earttquake, the conflict

with the Azerbaijanis. Why? What have Armenians done to deserve this?"

Dr.

Ohannessian,

conespondent in

Paris, is q social anthropologist .This is her story of futw she discovered the fourth generation of a lost tribe of Armenians.

VAHE FATTAL

THE FINE ART OF

DESIGN

A singulnr perspective on viswl communicalions

By JULIE PREi{DIVILLE

On the coffee table in Vah6 Fattal's living room sits a flat, corrugated box containing a slab of concrete, aged steel, see-through pages, photography of earth and clay, electric blue shapes, cut-out triangles and poetry. Across the cover is scrawled: "Vision." It is Vah6 Fattal's newest corporate design piece-created for Nissan Design International. A cross between a book and a box, it is at once an art piece and a communications tool. This newest work may be the perfect melding of Fattal's talents.

An accomplished painter and illustrator, he is co-principal of & Collins, a design firm that specializes in corporate

GEM/Fattal

and entertainment advertising and design. The company develops such marketing tools as corporate identity programs, computer graphics, title sequences and full print campaigns for movies and television, and packaging. At any given time, Vah6 might be developing a corporate identity program through his company and preparing for a showing of his paintings in a gallery. He has been the subject of several one-man shows in Los Angeles and New York while running his business, truly straddling the fine art and commercial art worlds. "I treat the two areas as exclusive," he explains. "Fine art is pure self-expression, graphic design can't

that. It shouldn't be that." His partner, Russell Collins, sees the two sides of Fattal as an asset in their business. "Vahd has tremendous technical ability. You almost neyer see a designer with that kind of ability," he explains,"and

ffts;.'

r''

AlM, September 1990

it's because of his fine art training. On the other hand, he has the ability

to capture nuances in a way you don't learn in design school." Fattal comes well prepared for both worlds. For six years, he studied Fine

Arts at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He met his wife, Lucie, while in school. In 1971, they moved to [.os Angeles where Vah6 worked as an art

director. He joined Bass/Yeager and

Associates

in 1978, where he

W-"H ffiKs*r AT IAAT

developed identity progrirms for Girl Scouts of America, Minolta, RTD, Hanna-Barbera and packaging for the entire line of AI&T phone products.

I @

He also created motion picture campaigns, including Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining." Fattal left Bass/Yeager in l98l and began consulting. While working on a major identity program for Kaiser Permanente, he collaborated with Russell Collins, the account supervisor on the job. The partnership worked well, and they formed their own company in 1983. Four years later, Fattal & Collins was acquired

by Grey Advertising. Their name changed to GEM/Faaal & Collins. One of the rnore memorable projects they've worked on was the poster for the movie Imagine. The now famous "John Lennon" signature on the poster is actually Vah6's. He found that Lennon's own penmanship just didn't work on the poster. Fattal's version was retained for the later-released book jacket, too.

MrNol]-f\

GIRL SCOUTS

"The only thing that was interesting about his own signature was the way he hooked the "J" with the *O," Vah6 remembers. "So I kept that." Lennon's face was a composite of several doodles Vah6 found in the late artist's possessions.

Over the years, GEM/Fattal & Collins has established itself as an entertainment marketing company, creating campaigns for ABC Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, MGMruA, Orion Home Video, Time Wamer and National Geographic.

Projects under development now are identities for Cramer Productions,

LeMasters Productions (of Kim

--rEI . ON EBAUMAI\ ucL6 o(tENSloN

ABC MOflON PICTURES

kMasters, former head of CBS) and

the new Kevin Costner movie,

Dances WithWolves.

AlM, September 1990

iii16

I(AIsER PERMANENTE

Television producer Doug Cramer (Dynasty, The Colbys) is an intemationally known art collector, so Vah6 is designing a logo inspired by renowned sculptor, Richard Serra.

The Nissan Intemational Design piece will be out in mid-August, ready to distribute to the product and vehicle designers it targets. Vah6 is amused at the way the whole project started. "They were expecting a brochure, and what they got was a piece of art," he smiles.

Fattal is fueled by the variety of projects his firm

works on, and by the variety of his fine art expressions, which may take the form of drawing, painting, hand lettering, or calligraphy. What is common in all cases is his intensity. "I'm very involved in what I do," he explains. "If I'm not involved, I can't do it." Last year, he was asked to design a solidarity poster for Karabagh. Vah6 used calligraphy and topped "Karabagh" with a fist, signing it with the flag of independent Armenia. The poster was printed in Paris and smuggled into Armenia. The symbol quickly found its way to buttons, and bumper stickers. "The proceeds went into

TIME WARNER Pr...rrs

rur EAKIH

DAYsPECIAL

helping the cause," according to Vah6. Armenian causes and projects have been important to Fattal. He's worked with Armenian film directors, experimental contemporary theatre groups, and others.

Most recently, Fattal took on this publication, creating the AIM masthead/logo and the cover

of the first issue. Soon, he'll undertake the inside format of the magazine, as well. It is clear that the award-winning designer enjoys both fine art and commercial art. His goal for both sides is the same. "The challenge is to maintain the spontaneity," he says. It seems that forVah6, that isn't a problem.

rJd[.$rrDytqrrtr[*al ftd,lrtrrfrlI,ll'aa1il, arr*-rEd!ramdri waffiol*r.nfrt*.

lMi,-etN=

AlM, September 1990

ARMENIAN REFERENCE BOOKS GO. PRESENTS

ARMENIAN AMERICAN ALMANAC !

HAMO B. VASSILIAN,

eorron/puBLrsHEn

An Essential Reference Book for Organizations, lnstitutions, Churches, Libraries, Scholars, and lndividuals

Please send

copy(ies) of

Armenian American Almanac 2nd Edition @ $44.95 per copy, plus $3.00

SECOND EOITION

per copy for shipping and handling.

Enclosed is my check or money order for $ (U.S. currency). Name Organization

The most com prehensive encyclopedic directory of Armenian Organizations and Professionals in the U.S.A. and Canada.

Address City

State

Zip

I Hard Cover,8.5"X11", 402 Pages, Publication Date: Feb, 1990

t am also interested in other books on Armenian subjects, please send me your book catalogue. Please clip and mail with check or money order to:

Armenian Belerence Books Glendale CA 91209.

Co.

P.O.Box 231

(818) s04- 2s50

uindou

view of the Armenian Church a quartcrly magazine published by the Armenian Church Research & Analysis

Group. WNNIT serves as a forum to address contemporary issues facing the Armenian Church & people, where scholarly articles, comments, reflections, viewpoints, translations

l/ItllIII'lI

and book reviews are published. Annual subscription is $18. For inquiries and subscription write to: A.C.R.A. GROUP 17808 Sherman Way . Suite 315 Reseda, CA 91335 Electronic Mail 1-408-2 57 -1846

OPEN A NEW WINDOW

PARADJANO

Armenia's Greatest Film Maker Dies At 66; Unique TalentWasted By Lack of Freedom diploma project

By TALINE VOSKERITCHIAN

1952 was Moldavian

Fairy Tales which set the course of Paradjanov's later great films of the l960s

lury 20, after an extended

snuggle

with diabetes, heart trouble, and cancer, SovietUnion's greatest film makers, died in Yerevan at the age of 65, three days after his retum from Paris where he had undergone

Sergei Paradjanov, one ofthe

unsuccessful chemotherapy

and 1980s _S/radows of F orgonen Ancestars, N ran Guync (Ilre,Color of tlrc Punegranate), The F onress of Suram, nd Ashugh Gharib. Paradjanov drew the content ofthese four

greatfilrnstomtre'trernote"regional culmres of Moldavia, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, whose apparent opaqueness he not only celebrated in a highly ritualistic and densely sensual style, but also used as a

treatrnent.

native and long-time resident of Tbilisi, Georgia,

vehicle for the development of an original film aesthetic based on the premise that

Paradjanovwast;r:lmlrl.1924

filrn is primarily a visual not dramatic art. Paradjanov first experimented with tttis idea n Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors in

prosperous Armenian parents who suffered the horrors of the Stalin years. His father was frequently jailed, and his mother was often forced to sell the family

1964 after a decade of making what he later described as "mediocre and wortidess" films

in Kiev. He attributed his radical deparmre

intewiew, Paradjanov recounted

from the earlier action-packed style to a personal tragedy which propelled him to think of film in a totally new way. At the core of this approach was Paradjanov's

how his mother would make

concept

belongings in an attempt to

make ends meet. In a 1988

him swallow herjewelry when she heard the KGB at her door. Paradjanov studied music in Tbilisi and later enrolled

at the Institute of Cinematogmphyin Moscowwherehe

workedwiththe Llkrainianfilm

maker Savchenko and the pioneering

Russian director Ifuhtp'v.

His

of"film

plastics" through which he

tried to use the medium of film as visual artist. This meant that film would be liberated from the influence of the ttreater and become a fruly contemplative art similar to sculpture or iconography, for instance. While the film community, especially in Euope, recognized in this conceptthe imaginative energy of a remarkable artist, the Soviet bureaucrats

attacked Slndows and Paradjanov's later works for its'Tormalist" and "d@adent" qualities. Sha&tws constitutes part of a short-lived but powerful renaissance in Soviet film. Produced in the mid-1960s, the films of

whatcame to be known as the "Dovzhenko school" rejected the artistic and linancial domination of tlrc Moscow filmbureaucracy and tumed to local themes and means of prodrction. Of ltrcse filrns Arftei Tarkovslry's Ivan' s Childhood 09A) andAndrei Rublev (1966), both made in the Ukraine, were the pioneering examples of a genre in Sovietfilrn which not only irritated the bureaucracy but was also perceived

AlM, September 1990

ob6ctue, "anti-Sovieg" and

"natiumlistic."

and othen who protestedtlre imprisonrnent

Lke Slwfuw s and later N ran

ofUkrainianintellecuals. Whenevertre

the.se

Guyne many filmS were eitrer shelved o censorcd

Only in the past five years have Soviet viewersbeen able to see these films inmovie theaters in their country. Shadows gurr,rrdnpre than 15 intern uimal prizes and became one of the most illusfious

examples of the regional cultural revival of dernonstraled Paradjanov's great devotion and empaffry to the lore of trc Ukraine. He would denpnstrate the same impulse forthe cultures of the Caucasus in

fte 1%0s. It also

his later work. Although Slndows was received enttrusiastically by tre Soviet press as anexample ofan unergentregiural cuhne,

it was swiftly drop@from circulation and

corl4

wouldcontinueto speak outonbehalf of

shown in Yerevan and other cities of the it caught tlrc attention of the censors, the authorities insisted on Caucasus. Once

colleagues, as he did for Tarkovsky whose exile to Europ and death in France he characterized as one ofthe greatest losses of Sovietcinern4 and for Ardava4 Fele*fan,

authentic version

whose difficulties with the cultural

deshoyed or shelved.

bureaucracy he publicized in his interviews. Professional envy atthe success of Shadaws

modifications. Paradjanov refused. The film was edited againstParadjanov's wishes and

finally withdrawn from circulation. The

of the filrn was either

Much can be sudatlrlorNranGuync.ltis

the

an artistic, national, and aesthetic milestone a work which takes the idea of film as a

govemment in ffte ar6 hamperedPaadjarcv's

visual and contemplative an to its limits.

efforts at making new films. Finally in 1968, he received permissianta ma}e Nran Guyrw

The culural objects and raditions of Armenia

and the increasing interference

which had as its subject ttre life of

ttre

eighteentlr century Armenian ashugh Sayat Nova. Although ttre film was fundedbythe

{

6 c N

6 o q

and ttte Caucasus appear to the viewer in their fullness and purity, as though they were in

museum, displayed in the language

sound and form. WhiTe Nran Guyne reafErms Paradjanov's love of the archival, it also confirms his extraordinary abilities to view the old and weathered objects of history in an astonishingly contemporary ways, as tttough the viewer were seeing and hearing them for the first time. The film's mixing of raditional and modemist elements is also enhanced by Tigran Mansurian's score which intoduces into the film elernenb of contemporary music. The scorc works

autonomously alongside the images, sometimes in harmony with the visual components and sometimes in dissonance

withthem. Had Paradjanov been a raditional film maker, he would have made Sayat Nova an imposing tuo and constrcted his film amurd fhe great moments of the artist's biography.

lnstead, he interprets Sayat Nova as a transparcnt figrre through whom flow the cultue ad the exprien@s of Iife; his preserrce radiates and resonates the reflections and echoes of sight and sound. The result is a

complicated work of many layers and overtones, where dualities are woven into a seamless web of incantation. song, image, andicon.

After the completion

Nran Guyne,

Kiev on a fiIm about the St. Sophia Cathedral Paradjanov immediately began work in

Milestones in Paradjanovfs lale arc râ&#x201A;Źflected ln this framed collage of pholos

Paradjanov was not allowed to leave the USSR to receive any of the prizes. In a rccent interview, Paradjanov anributed the difficulties which the f,rlm encountered to ttrc fact tlnthe originally shot it in l-llaainian

S hodaw s

Armenian, Georgian, and Azerbaijani filrn studios in celebration of the trpo hundred andfiftieth anniversary of thebirth of Sayat Nova, its focus was unequivocally on Armenian culnre. In one of his interviews in 1980, Paradjanov said that the Armenian studios were frrlly supportive of his project and that he had complete freedom of access to the original artifacs which he displayed

and rep,ressive measures against Paradjanov

in tlrc filrn. Nran Guyne was completed in 1969 and

and refused the dubbing of Russian subtitles

of"vulgarization." The years between the completion of

as an act

and the making of Nra n G uy ne tn 1969 were marked by slanderous rumors

AlM. September 1990

and Cave Monastery and the destmction of the ancientfiBscoes by the Sovietau*rorities. He was stopped from continuing his work in 1971, ftre fooage of the film was rcpotrtedly desroyed, and Paradjanov nied to commit -suicide. His arrest came in 1974 after lrc refused to testify against a member of the Ukrainian national movement. The charges leveled against him included trafficking in icons, forgery of cunency, violating women and children, and homosexuality. "I don't know why I was anested," said Paradjanov

= 6 o

Paradlanov rclaxes beneath a poflrait ol his wife Sretlana, upper bft, at his home in Tbilisi

in an interview

in 1980. "I was undesirable,

added Paradjanov. "Great masters such as Eisenstein and Tarkovsky have lived

.q .q

{

distrbed tre whole world I was accused a ofbeing aoiminal, athief... They searched I

the innermost parts of my body. They accused me of being a homosexual and they judged me on this 'crime."' He was condemned to five years of hard labor in the Ukiaine. His release in 1978, which

similarfates."

The relative fieedoms brought by

glasnost and perestroika allowed

Paradjanov

to make two

masterpieces after his release from

jail

1984: The Fortress of Suram and Ashugh Gharib. Based respectively on a Georgian folk tale and a short story by lrrmontov, Suram and Ashugh Glwrib show the consolidation of Paradjanov's aesthetic principles and refinement of his visual language. Neither shelved nor edited, these two works received critical acclaim in the West. At the time of his

came in the wake of aconcerted presswe

from the intemational community of filrn makers, artists, and intelle{tuals, did not secure his freedom to make films. He was arrested again in 1982 and spent fourmore yean in jail. "I was setfree on New Year's Day," said Paradjanov in a recent intâ&#x201A;Źrview. "I found myself in a very dirty airplane... When I arived to my house in Tbilisi, I found out that my mother had died. I am the only Soviet film maker to have gone to jail during

hospitalization several months ago, Paradjanov was at work in Yerevan on his newest filmThe Confession, afilm set in a Yerevan cemetâ&#x201A;Źry. After 19M, Paradjanov was finally gble to travel to the West and enjoy the pleasures of his new-found freedom. At Rotterdam airporthe was unable to hold back his tears. His visit to the grave of

the regime of tlree different Soviet leaders

Stalin, Brezhnev, and Andropov." The fifteen-year sreEh between 1969 and 1984 silenced Paradjanov, wasted his exfiaordinary talent, depleted his health, embiuered his spirit, and put an end to the hopes of 'cultural revival which were

his mentor, colleague, and friend,

associated

forwhun hehadoften spoken out, in Paris tumed into an emotional

event C-onversely, Paradjanov sunuimes

Tarkovslcy,

witt Slndows wfi Nran Guyne. was unable to work for fifteen years," AlM, September 1990

used his long-

for fircedom

in controversial and sometimes offensive ways, mrmging to elicit sfiong reactions from Armenians,

Turks, and Azeftaijanis about sensitive political issues. His disclosures about his personal life contributed to the confiovenies which he created everywherehewent. Paradjanov's loyalties were always to the imagination and

only derivatively to selfpromotion, politics, or nationalism. He flamboyantly crossed the long-esablished and

often rigid artistic, national, and sexual divides of social and political life. The price he paid for such transgressions was high, but the rewards which he gained

were more abundant. The Ukrainians, Armenians, and Georgians all claim him as a

A varlety ol colorcd paper and other mfrrid rvas used by Paradjanov in this collage deplcting the back yard ot his rcsklence in Tbilisi

major force in the revival of their culure. Like SayatNovq he was an artist fore the whole world, though his meager output was often misunderstood, exploited, and bruised. Had he produced the 23 scripts which lie in his drawen today,

situation in Armeniawill allow foran honest and dignified rehabilitation. Many questions

Paradjanov would have undoubtedly revolutionized not only Armenian film but

Armenia as it moves into a democratic era but also inspire a new generation of artists

world cinema

to explore uncharted domains.

Eisenstein had done earlier in the century. He often talked about making filrns aboutDavid of Sassu$ Kcnitas, and Joan

as Sergei

ofArc.

still remain unanswered A scholarly, artistic, and political rehabiliadon will not urly benefit

Paradjanvo's death came in the wake of political change in Armenia and coincided with the convening of the firstfreely elected

Shortly before his death, characteristic act of

in a

generosity, Paradjanov donated his large collection of hand-made art objects to

Armenia Altrough plans arc under way for a Paradjanov museum in Yerevan, and an exhibition of his collages,

dolls,and tapestries is on in the Armenian

display

Armenian Supreme Soviet in seventy yean.

The news was announced at the July 2l inaugural session of the Armenian legislanre where a moment of silence was observed. Reports from Yerevan said ttrat the political leadership was divided as to how best to

honorArmenia's greatestfilm maker. While some wanted to pay their respects to the cultural dissident, in the end a more restrained

commemoration was agreed upon for fear of distubances. The funeral of Paradjanov was sombr, ritualized, and emotional. He was laid to rest in the Pantheon of Armenian Artists and Scientists on July 25. The Supreme Soviet intemrpted its meetings on that day so that members could participate in a commemorative ceremony at the Armenian Museum of Folk Art in Yerevan. In the evening, after Armenians from all walks of life paid their respect at Paradjanov's open

capital, the rehabilitation of Paradjanov has so far been

casket in the Opera Tlreater, a crowd estirnated

canied out in a way which does not do justice to his courage, abundance, and

procession as it wound through the sfieets of Yerevan. As a group of duduk players perfonned tre music of SayatNov4 mounrers

at more than 50,000 followed the funeral

fipedom of spirir He was

intenpd the casket with their bare hands,

named People's Artist of Armenia in May 1990, after his illness had reached an

and coveredthe gravesite with flowers. This

advanced stage, and he had lost consciousness. Perhaps

the changing political

Pasting a photo of hlmeelf in frcnt of an upraised arm, Paradianov seems to be making a staternent in this collage

AlM, September 1990

was the final spontaneous gesture of love by the Armenian people to an artist whose works were inhabited by toubadours and acrobats, magicians and musicians, fools

anddreamen.

I 43

tuition as "unwarranted." "At this

rate,

Armenian education is and will be received

by a very few privileged children,"

the parcnts stated in a letter to local Armenian newspapers. Administraton and Boards of Trustees contend however, tlnt Amenian schmls are not profit-making instihrtions. They say tlrere are rising operanbn expenses of which parents and tte cornmunity at larye are not awarâ&#x201A;Ź. '"This year, for example, the Armenian

General Benevolent Uniqr subsidizeil our

budget by more than $14O,m0 in order keep fte schml aflct " said EXlie anOrcassiarU Frrcipal oftre AGBU Armenian Elernenury Schml in Watertown, Massachusetts. "Our

schmls have to meet salaries of teachers and staff, purchase insurance policies and

Arnenlan kl4s at Chamlian Scfiml's playgrcund in Glendale, Callf.

BAGKTOSGHOOL Caught between rising tuition costs and Armenianism, parentsface a dffiuh choice "[,ast year, however, when the tuition was

By BAFFI SHOUBOOKIAN

s hundreds of Armenian parents prepare for the approaching school year, a considerable number of them will be facing an agonizing dilemma: to sendtheirchildren to an Armenian community schml and srain

*pir

financial rcsowces

tying to meet is

ever-increasing nrition fees or register them at a public school and comp,romise their Armenian language and culture. Throughout history, Armenians have

teasured education and looked upon is benefits as ineducible in preserving their national heritage outside their homelandWherever they serled, a school has always been the fint instiqtion to be erected after the church But now, that devotiqr b national education is wearing thin as more and more

parcnts find ttremselves unable to sustain tlre high cost of sending theirchildren to an Armenian school.

One such parent form Montebello, Califomia had her older daughter auending Mesobian fthmlsince hndergatm During

ulre past five yean, tlre tuition has been raised several times, but srynehow tlrc family had managed to make sacrifices in orderto meetthe financial deman4 "because I want my daughter to be raised in an Armenian environment" as she put iL

raised again,I wasplacedinto an impossible

siuntiur,"

said Nvard

Gezrbeuyukial "Sirrce

my second daughter is of age b begin schml,

I could no longer afford iL" The children were placed at a nearby Catholic school, where parents receive firmcial dismunts and subsidies in exchange for ttreir occasional services to school functions. Mrs. Gezubeuyukian says the general level of education is comparable to that of Armenian schools, and she has made

up for the slack in her children's Armenian

education by teaching them trcrself ftom books at home. "Until last year, all of our children atiended Armenian schools with great sacrifice on our part," said another parent from the East Coast. "But this year we are forcedo sendttrmopublic schmls, as we no longer can affo,rd our national schools."

In July, trc

steep rise

in tuition

and

registration fees for preschool studenB at Charnlian School in Glendale, Califomia prrompted a series of crisis meetingB benreen a committee representing FrenB of 168 students and schml aftninistnators. Muttrly tuition cosB at Charnlian had risen from $270 in 1988 to $355 per child for the 1990-91 school year. Regisuation fees had jumped from $175 to $250 per student in the sameperiod. The parents described tlrc sharp rise in

AlM, September 1990

support various other expenses." Stepan Kabaday4 chairman of Ctmmlian's Boud of Trusees, said the Glendale school's budget this year has risen 20 percent over the previous year, mainly because of a rise in teacher salaries, maintenance costs and capital improvements to tlrc building. Across the Valley, the Marie Ir,[anoogian School in CanogaPa*ttris school yearhas a budget deficit of $ 160,000. Ironically,

pnncipal Hagop Hagopian nored that tlre school has allocated the same amount of money for the same period to subsidize tuitions ofneedy and orphaned children. "We realize parcnts are in abind to meet the monthly nritions of their children and we Ey to he$ ftun as best we can"" Ilagopian sai4'tut we have to be selective as our

limited." Lillie Merigian, principal of Ari Guiragos-

resources are

Minassian School in SantaAna, Califunia, said no child whose parents have asked for

financial assistance has been ever denied education at her school. "And if you really think about it, the nrition fees tre not as high as sorrr parcnts complain," she sai4 pointing out that the average fee of $ 2,000 for 180 days of instnrction (10 monttrs) would come to I 1. 1 1 cents a day. "Ifparens are really dedicated to ttp notion of sending their chil&ren to an Armenian school they would find a way around the financial difficulty," strIed G'abrial Injejikian, who was feted by the community last year for esablishing trc fint Armenian day school in ilrc United States 26 years ago. Bmk{ejikian aclanwledged fte seriousness of the tuition problem and said every school should be able to provide subsidies and otpr financial help to parents who are in dire strais. "No child whose parents want

him to go to an Armenian school shouldbe deprivedof tlntoportrrnity,"he said Paens should not lose hope and should not leave

any stone untumed to find ttrc means to support trcir children's Armenian education, said Injejikian, who is principal of the two. campus Holy Martyn Fenahian High Schml

in Encino, Califomia The school had a budget of $ 1.3 million for 1989-90, from which $200,000 was pnovidedas financial discounm (35a0

Yearly budgot lrtcome ttorrr tuition Defacat

$dens

half-ndtion) and fiee education (16 students).

School staff and teachen paid half-nrition for their children.

Solution: A veteran educator of botlr public

and

Armenian schools, Injejikian said there was no single solution to the nlition p,roblem.

First among his suggestions was that Armenian parents should make an added sacrifice, even at the cost of not buying a house for ttre sake of their children's national education. To help single-parent or welfarc families, community organizations and individul qpunors oould provide scholastrip to a certain extent. In addition, Injejikian

by each and every tax-paying citizen,"

whose funre fruits would benefit the whole

community.

"ln the American system, public education is provided free to every

child and is funded

said the current tuition system should be

Injejikian reminded. "Why could we not

amended.

adapt that system in our Armenian reality?"

"Cunently, schools subsidize ttre nrition of every student, even those coming from

Citing the prevailing arrangement in the Armenian community in Beirug where every Armenian pays a certain amount of "national tribute" (azkayin door$ to the Prelacy for the aim of financing Amenian community services and instinrtions, Injejikian proposed

conparatively well-to-doorevenrichfamilies.

The latter could very easily do without discounts, thus p,roviding additional financial

support base to middle-income and lowincome parents." If thatpolicy is adopted, tuition forstudents from upper-income families would range between $3,000 - $4,000, while the less privileged would pay around $1,ffi - $ I 5m. "At the end, the average tuition would still be the same as it is now and schools would not suffer," Injejikian hinted. He said Ferrahian has already begun to implement such a system. Taking tlrc point one step fi.uther, Hagopian, of ttre Marie Manoogian School, proposed each student's tuition fees be based on ttre financial ability of his palens. "Traditionally, tuitions have been the same for all students, regardless oftheirfamily backgrowd. Paymg according to tre family's income level would alleviate the burden of the limited-income parents wittrout penalizing the well-situated parents," Hagopian said.

Injejikian's main concem was, however, that Armenian parents, whetherpoor or rich,

should not be alone finarcial rcsporsibility

a similar program be implemented here, whereby every working Armenian would pay an annual duty based on his or her income.

"Ideally, we could easily meet and even all

exceed the total of the arurual budgets of

Armenian schools in Califomia,"he assured The 14 Armenian high schools in the state

last year had a combined total budget of more than $12 million.

Merigian, of Ari Guiragos-Minassian, submitted another and perhaps a parallel approach to the financial problem by taking avenues to decrease the operation expenses, which account for the large part of the schml

budgets. She suggested that an effort be made !o centralize available personnel and material, saving the expense of duplication. Pooling of substituteteachen was one instance where schools could cooperate. "We should even consider a central

shouldering this

purchasing warehouse where school supplies

national edrcation

and materials could be purchased in large

AlM, September 1990

quantities and the schools could then tap into that central source." Merigian also proposed taking steps to organizeArmenian andnur-Armenianprivate and parochial schools into an association that could successfi.rlly lobby the state and federal governrnents for such things as tax breaks for parents with children in nonpublic schools. Such a cenral organization could also approach foundations and corporations for financial grants, she said. In the final analysis, most educaton interviewed for this article were optimistic that a solution would eventually be found and that the present tuition problem is temporary. That optimism was not shared by most parents, who reproached private Armenian schools of becoming institutions for the rich. Mrs. Gezubeuyukian stated: "All of the

Armenian media and community organizations declare that they only have metherrrc: Hye-a-bah-ban*tiun (preserving tlrc heritage). Millions of dollars were raised

to ensure that our brothers and sisten in Armenia stmrive and keep Armenia from being wi@ off the map. An Armenian who wants to live as an Armenian is an Armenian whether he lives in Armenia or Australia. Anyone who wishes to remain Armenian should be given every opporamity to do so. Othenvise, all of these Armenian organizations, newspapers and television programs that preach culture p,resenration should be eliminated on the grounds of hypocricy." -ttims Koiaian @ntrlbuH

tothisafiic/E 45

BOOK WINS PRATSE Amenian Americanr

Ganadian Who's Wlro of Outstanding Athletes, Goaches and Sports Perconalities by RichardN. Demfun; Ararut H eritage Publishing C o. ; 499 pages; $49.95

By ISHKHAil JINBAilAN s any other art form, sports often imitates life with a bang. The titillation of the race, the will to victory, the fear, the

envy, the love of the labor and the sheer tenacity of concenffated effort come quite close to re-enacting the human condition in its most colorfrrl state. But above all, sports is a story

of self discovery.

In Richard N. Demirjian's ArmenianAmerican I Canadian Who's Who of Outsnnding Athletes, Coaches and Sporx I 989 , aprrasive sense

P ersonalities : I 906-

Richard D,emiriian, the author

of tiumph sets the tone for the more than 200 career profiles. After all, ttris is not just another sports story and certainly not just another reference source. In fact, to fully appreciate the import of Demirjian's work, one mustexamine it in

has no doubt had his share of

frustrations in

his efforts to locate some of his sources. However, thanks to his apparently massive

network of personal and professional acquaintances, as

well as the extensive documentation in

the larger context of the

Armenlan-Amerlcan/Cenadian

newspapers and other

Armenian-American

wHo's wHo Coct6

publications, he has

experience. Transplant

o, Oulstandlnq Athl6t6s, Sports Porsnalltlct

your post-civil-rights

sensibilities to the Fresno of old for

managed

and

put

together a work of

1906-1989

unfailing consistency and substance. His biqgrryhical entriesare

instance, say circa 1900,

whentlrcfinthanowed

succinct,

of Armenian immigrants would establish one of the earliest hubs of the

deparnnentalizd and

masseg

neatly

happily free of embellishments. It's interesting to note here

Armenian-American

that the vast majority

saga.

In his preface, Demirjian briefly

ofthefeanredmenard

mentions the myriad hardships and the blatant racism of their

eitherbonlorcunently

womeninsports were

live in communities that represent the old

reluctant hosts that these first settlers had to endure. The oversight becomes the more sriking when considering the fact that at least half of the penonalities feanred in this book hail from Frcsno. In a work that intends to draw as firll a professional and personal picnre of the subjects involved, the rather

perfunctory treatment

of our

common

experience of dislocation, loss and alienation,

makes a certain dent in the project. But perhaps Demirjian need not have delved into such delicate matters. Perhaps the wondrous dynamism of Armenian-American athletes during the past 80 years, and indeed

Armenian-American: New Jersey, Massachusetts and Fresno. Few are from L,os Angeles basin, an area that in the course

of the past two decades,

has come to

characterize the new face of the Armenian-

American Experience. Does the minimal pesenoe of

L.A

-based aftletes in

Demi{ian's

work beray a certain lack of sports talent among the new Armenian settlers, or is it simply an indication of their reluctance to enterthe mainsfieam of American sports? Demirjian has done a fint-rate job at collecting published articles about the 233 athletes, coaches and sports penonalities. a few athletes whose records of

the very publication of Demirjian's work, are enough of a testament to the miracle of self-renewal and growth. As the author stresses: "... there were many motivations over the course of time that prompted the

has completed each of his entries with a profile thatfeatures one ormore published pieces from Armenian and American

creation of tris boolc kr particular, I discovered

newspryers, notably

that there is a special spirit a special - of life." psyche in the Armenian way - of life, brcught about by sheer That way necessity, has come to typfy an almost stoical defiance in the face of affliction. This, then, is the silent background of

The Armenian Miror-Spectator and The Armenian Observer, various sports periodicals, and books. These profiles have been skillfully edited by former U.S. Olympian Mmjorie Lamey.

Demirjian's project.

fascinating accounts ofendurance, in spite of ovenvhelrning obstacles and physical handicaps. Starting wittr Michael Kaprielian,

The work is truly an encyclopedic pesentation in both scope and deail. During the eight yean that he researched material, Demi{ian gathered aremarkable wealth of information on his athletes and sports penmalities. Inamunty where tlpArmenian community has yet to esablish a unified information and resource center, Demirjian AlM, September 1990

Except for

achievement hadbeen urnbrusive, Demirjian

frrc, Hairdressers

Weekly,

Demirjian's entries are replete with

dte

fintknown Armenian-American College

fmtball participant and Pacific Coast College

wrestling champion n 1912, stories of extraordinary achievments unravel in breathtaking abundance. We meet Benjamin Agajanian, known as p,rofessional football's

first kicking specialist, who despite

maiming accident that cost him his toes on his right foot at tre tender age of 21, went on to break rnany pro-football records until his retirement 24 years later. In addition, the

lis includes Dicries Der Tomasian, world paraplegic one-mile run Olympic champion

n lW, who till year had won a total of five gold medals in track and field and basketball, a at the Tokyo Olympiad

VladimirPozner Writeswith An Accent OnThe HumanGondition

last

PARTINGUTH ILLUSIO}IS

silver medal in weightlifting and

bS-flg4imir Pozner; Atlantic Monthly Press $19.9s

championship at a National Wheelchair Athletic Association meet, and Judy Anne Rejebian, the 1968 world record holder in the 12 to 13 age-group pentathlon. She has been hailed as having "... more nafiral talent than anyone since Tracy

BT7

KEVORK IilIIRZIAN

Austin"by Vicken

he is intelligent enough to get his point across. His observations are keen, ttroughtfrrl

and bearthe stamp of an exfraordinary man

of the world. His approach is refieshingly humaneyetfiEe of emotimalism tokeep the hanh political realities of rhe world in perspective. While offering his thoughts on the changes unfolding in the Soviet Union, Pomerdevotes

the world and whose list of achievements boggles ttrc mind. And then there are people

distinguished career as a sports cartoonis! editoq writer, broadcaster and biographeq, JoshuaAgajanian and members of his family

who have won races at the Indianapolis 500 in 1952 and 1963, and John Paboojian, second- ranked U.S. team roper cowboy in 1969. In his inffoduction, Demirjian presents an

overview of active Armenian athletic organizatius in tre

Unid

Staes ard Canada

These organiztions, seven in all, not only foster sportsmanship and athletic excellence in thousands of Armenian youths, but they also spare no efforts in bringing about such great collective events as annual olympiads

and festivals, which only serve to instill cultural awareness and pride in communities

throughout the Armenian-American ladscee. Dernirjian's workprovides atimely recognition to the many outstanding athletes who have made their mark in the history of Anrrican qpom, whethertheybefte glirering p,roducts of ttre Armenian organizational

considerable space to tre nationalities

I Ir

n an age where television joumalists

are being marketed as prime-time afiactions, it should not be difficult to imagine Vladimir Pomer as the Soviet counterpart to the celebrity-joumalists crowding our screens here in ttre United States. The smooth-talking Russian with a New York accent has actually appeared in that capacity on Donahue and Nightline, altemating between an object of curiosity

problun

which he attributes to "Moscow's disregard for, and unwillingness to undentand, other culunes. " Pozner holds many ofthese culuxes in highesteem, as evidenced byhis numerous

anecdotes about the people of different republics and the moral from each one of them. One of ttre most memorable anecdotes in the book is about an Armenian family near lake Sevan which apparently left a deep

and Soviet cornrnentator depending on the

impression on Pozner. The hospitality he

tenorof the show.

received and the things he obsewed while

Pozner has now put across anotlrcr side of his persona this time on ttre printed page he assures to be his tue self in a -which book titled Parting With lllusions. "I have reached a point in my life where I have to say precisely what I feel," he writes in his introduction, "And let the chips fall where

in Armenia left him filled wittr admiration for this tiny republic and is people. Pomer shows a profound undentanding of the historical dimensions of the ongoing

theymay." Following this bold proclamation, Pozrer laurrches into an anecdotal, ifhighly selective, narrative of his life and times from his - York to days as a "snot-nosed kid" in New

his transformation into "television's

effort or through tlreir own individual vision

persoffication of glasnost" in ttre Soviet Union. Bom in Paris of a Russian Jewish

and determination.

father and French mother, Pomer grew up

his

to Russia at age 19, riding out on the

of his customary on-screen charrn, he comes across in tlrc book as an unglamorous yet no less tulhful a pilgim whose preoccrpation is what is "the global human condition." Pozner is no sermonizing intellecUral, ttrough

woman Judo black belt holder in 1963, and Toros Kibritjian-Paneghiaa who has becorne one of the most respected soccerreferees in

emeritus who has had a long and

family

rising tide of McCarthyism in America. Tlnoughout the booh Pozner pus his unique penpectiveto workindissectingbotr societies andnaming the illsthatinflict tlrem. Deprived

Simonian, an extraordinary achiever who broke fourjunior college track and field records rrl.1975 and 1976. AIso in the list are Jerry Tarkanian, college basketball's "winningest active coach" who is quoted as saying: " I'll tell you why we win. We win because I recruit the best and often get the best because I relate to kids - kids who have had it tough like I had it tough as a kid;" Alma Krikorian, Michigan's very first

Iike Ludwig Shahbazian, a sports editor

in New York before emigration with

AlM, September 1990

political dispute berween Armenia

and

Azerbaijan. Although still in the employ of

the Gosteleradio (the State Radio and television), he does not hesitate to lay the blamefor'1he riots andtragedies of Sumgait and Nagomo-Karabagh on the Kremlin's

docstep." Shouldttrings take anasty tum in Moscow, Poznermight very well be without ajob for telling it like it is. Then again, he could be the ideal candidate to fill the void between Phil Donahue and Bill Moyers. I

Tatarian's the Name; News ls His Game S}-Year Career of Distinguished I nternntional J ournali st B e gan as a $12.50 -a- Week Copy Boy By Grcg Krikorian or half a century, Roger Tatarian joumalism agoodname. As a writer and editor, professor and writing coach, he has excelled

has given

asked him to join ttre school newspaper. Inspired by her teaching mettrods more than a career in joumalism, he agreed. At Fresno State College, which then did not have a joumalism departrnenl Tatarian majored in political science. But he continued writing and became editor of ttre col-

lege newspaper before his graduation in

in his profession and inspired others to fol-

1938.

low suit. "He's the greatest editor-newsman in the

It was at Fresno State that he met Eunice Elizabeth Krauchi,

world. The best

boss anyone could have," said Helen Thomas, the legendary White House reporter who worked with Tatarian during his years at United Press Intemational. "I wish there were a million more

likehim..."

another editor on

Beginning as a $12.50-a-week copy boy 1938, Tatarian rose to ttre top of United Press Intemational at age 49. After his retirement as editor-in+hief six years later,

called. Tatarian's career in joumalism took roots

at L-ongfellow Junior High School when his English teacher, Ruby Johnson Pratt,

evermade." "Roger is not an emotional Armenian. He is not the kind of person to get up on a soapbox and denounce the Ottoman Em- -

c .g

E L

lanwasbom.

By then the Ta-

Bom and raised in Fresno, llrach Roger Tatarian was a toddler when his parents, Yervant and Rose, moved from the fringes of "Armenian Town" to Fresno's Hazelwood district. Across the street from the family's new home lived the Saroyans. "I was about 10 years younger than Bill Saroyan, so we were hardly close buddies. But I knew him very well," Tatarian re-

countered prejudice in his attempts to enter the profession. When two local newspapers were scouting for alented young reporters, Tatarian's advisor at Fresno State was contacted each time. Both times, the advisor rpcommended Tatarian. Both times, the newspapers askedhim for other recommendations. "Obviously, I haven't forgotten what hap pened; especially in college," Tatarian said. "Itjust seemed at the time thatthe best thing I could do was to get out of Fresno, so I left. It tumed out to be the best decision I have

Press. Threeyears later, their son Al-

tarians had moved

will..."

nothave," hesaid. As a college joumalist, Tatarian still en-

woftingforUnited =a

them Walter Cronkite, named to the Society of Professional Joumalist's Hall of Fame in New York. "Roger has been one of the real beacon lights of our profession. He is someone of tlre highest integrity, and he has kept his enthusiasm for joumalism," said Thomas. "Others grow old," she said. "Rogernever

Now living in a ree-lined neighborhood where Armenians once were not allowed to purchase homes, Tatarian remembers as a child riding with his parents through ttrc same neighborhood. "It was a time when you drove by and looked at what you could

first l0 joumalists, among

he was one of the

saidTatarian.

the paper. They tY were married on =(! oAugust l, 1939, in o Phoenix, Aizona, oo whereTatarianwas

feelings that existed then. There were even @venants against Arrrmians owning hsrrcS,"

Washington,

D.C. and Hrach Tatarianwas using the byline of H. R. Tatariarl the result of constant confusion over his first namewhenhisstories weretransmit-

Tatarian keâ&#x201A;Źpaa bucyrcheclrb In Hs sfrdy

editon across the counby. From his days as a schoolboy, Tatarian

ted to

had leamed to adjust to the simpler misun-

derstandings about his name and ethnic background. Discrimination, however, was impossible to ignore.

While many Anirenians settled in Fresno during and after ttre Genocide, ttrey were hardly welcomed.'"The Armenian population was rampantly discriminated against until World War tr. Rampant is not too strong a word to describe arti-Armenian

AlM, September1990

pire said Art Margosian, a retired joumalism professor from Frcsno. "But, I respect his right to do that and the beauty of Roger is that he respects my right to get emotional at times. I love the man for that."

"Indeed," Margosian said, "Tatarian's conuibutionto Armenians has been his carcer. His contemporaries were people like Walter Cronkite and Tatarian has gone as high

in American joumalism. He has won intemational recognition as a as any Armenian

great

joumalist."

After leaving Fresno, Tatarian's aggressive pursuit of stories and determination to furtherhis careerwere rewarded with apro motion to Washinglon, D.C. There, at age 24, Tatarian began a lifetime of covering some of the world's biggest stories. The first was Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7,1941. "Pearl Harbor was one of those moments one could never forget. That and the day John Kennedy was assassinated are the two events that are galvanized in my memory," Tatarian said. 'The Kennedy assassination was a strange experience," added Tatarian, who by that time was managing editor of United Press.

was prcoccupied wittr the professional responsibility of assigning staffand making sure everything was in place for aroundthe-clock coverage. So it wasn't until several days after his death that I sat down to think about the nagedy, and when I did,I found myself weeping." Tatarian ranks Kennedy :rmong

week forget that those were all innovations of Roosevelt and his New Deal era." Although most of Tatarian's career was spent in the United States, his assignments also included [mdon and Rome. In Lnndon, he was responsible for UPI bureaus covering Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In Rome, his assignments included coverage of the Vatican's selection of a successorto Pope Pious )OL "Covering the Vatican was ahighpoint in my life," Tatarian said. "It was a fascinating place. A place of enormous political force. It also was a very difFrcult assignment because at that time the Vatican had made no arangements for press coverage. You had to f,rnd ttrose who knew ttre Vatican's inner workings and what the Pope meant by each statement." Such enterprise and interpretation would not seem that diffrcult for Tatarian, whose reputation as a tireless reporter and editor made him a legend at UPI and forged his

Tatarian, of course, is not without some kind words for the prcfession. "While I'm critical, I do believe joumalists generally do a beuer job as time goes on. The level of reporting is higher today than it was 50 years ago. People are far more concemed with ethics. Fifty years ago, for example, there were no seminars on ethics in the profession. Joumalists did whatever they wanted," he said. "Still, joumalists today often fail to grasp the power of their pnofession," Tatarian said.

"ffthere is one thing I might criticize about my profession, it is that working joumalists today don't seem to be as aware as they should be of their tremendous influence." '"This profession has enormous power and

with that goes the responsibility to understand ttre effect of every word that is written

I think, reporters today must concentrate," he said. Toward that end, Tatarian continues his commiffnent to joumalism. At age 73, the demands forhis timeremarn conor spoken. And that is where,

stant.

the ttuee top p,residents he has known as a writer or editor. "I would rate them as Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy," he said. "John Fitzgerald Kennedy created an amazing aEnosphere in ftis county. People felt good about

He still writes a column for the Fresno Bee and hosts a weekly cable television show. He also serves as a writing coach for several large newspaper chains. And ofcourse, he continues toreceive calls and letters from those who

being American, that we did good things, that we were goodpeople, that anything and everything was

know him as a joumalist of exreme clarity. Thatreputation was most recently recognized by the

possible in this world," Tatarian

University of Califomia at Fresno

said.

with plans to endow a joumal-

"Har4r S. Truman, as tlrc revisionist historians are now find-

ism

@rtnent

chair in Tatarian's

honor. The goal is to raise

ing, was a great man. I remember $300,0m to entice top names in joumalism, like Tatrrian, to teach seeing him at his fint White House at the university. dinner wilh lhe pe.ss ard he seerned In the soft, raspy voice ttrat has almost apologetic, as if he never The laE W!!hm Saloyan, right, on one of hls vislts to Tatalian's otlice counseled some of joumalism's &eamed the job would descend later careers as a p,rofessor of joumalism best writen and editors, Tatarian said his on him. Then, it seemed as though he and a writing coach for newspapers. connibutiontotlreprofession has been guided suddenly understood his power and its re"By and large, I think joumalists give an by a very simple philosophy. sponsibility. And even today, I think his "I don't want to sound comy, but I've excellent accounting of themselves. But I decision to send fioops to Korea without am embarrassed by the profession almost alwaysfeltthatl shoulddeal with others the waiting for Congress was one of the bravdaily," Tatarian said. Embarrassed by reway I would like to be dealt with," Tatarian est decisions of this century," Tatarian said. porten, particularly in the elecfionic media, said. "I mean journalism is not the most fi"Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in a class Tatarian who quessaid, ask rude, stupid nancially rewarding p,rofession and I worked by himsel{" Tatarian added- "Anybody who tions. Embarrasse4 he said, by stories that for an organization that was more spartan remembrs the paralysis that existed in the are poorly researched or wriffen. "I see thanmost. So I always felt that if you can't nation duing tlrc Great Depression can never stories every day where I ask myself, was give people money for their work, at least forget that Roosevelt, for all his faults, and this story necessary?" Tatarian said. make sure you give them rcspect. Make he had them, had greatness. It's amazing "We in the profession have hidden for a sure you give them love and respect. It's and sad how some people today forget his long time behind the old explanation: 'well, thatsimple." legacy. People who complain about govits news.' Well, the ftuth is that we decide ernment interfering with their lives as they what's news and the eflect of that power collect Social Security, or make their desinks in with me more and more as time posits in federally inswed banks orgetovertrilsl, tc a *all wrlGerfot dE L6 Arrgclcrs7finlter' time for working more than 4O hous a SOeS On."

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AlM, September1990

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THE SGIENTIST'S REVISED ROLE IN A NEW ARMENIA

Moscow, Kiev and L,eningrad - scientists who could easily comprise a list of "Who's Who" in advanced software engineering in the Soviet Union. "Nintendo showed a great deal of interest in this program at a recent convention after seeing is educational value, and we designed the program to ernich the user's vocabulary

within

a game

format," he says. "Of course,

we have other, more advanced software packages thatcouldbe used, say, by AT&T,

A Re s ourc eful Astrop hy s ic i st Looks Into The Future

IBM andeven NASA,"he

says

while deftly

commanding his way in and out of programs. Sarkissian has made an effort to meet

with well-placed individuals in *re software industry and has come away with a number

frst

developed by the Cybemetics

By KEVORK llllRZIAl{

was

Research Institute in New Jersey. And ttre lab at Yerevan State University was set up

I I I

hieh-tech explosion is ever to take pucJin Armenia, rhen you can counr on Armen Sarkissian to be among those to ignite its fuse. a

He is of the new cropofascending scientiss

in Armenia who are as enterprising as they are gifted academically and who are not afraid to break the mold to get the desired

at the initiation of Dr. Haig Kavafian, a retired scientist from the Cybemetics krstitute, following his visittc Armeniain ttre aftermath ofthe earthquake. ln New Jersey, Sarkissian took part in lengthy meetings with Dr. Kavahan and

Before retuming to Armenia, Sarkissian

hospitals," he explains.

out of a habit, perhaps, formed after -yean of lecturing on statistical mechanics

"The idea is to build

University and Kingston Polytechnics in England," he says, reeling offnames of the departnent chairmen who signed up for the school. He talks of his efforts to pursue the same goal with selected American universities

such as

MIT, Harvard, Cal Tech and UC

Berkeley, among others. "We have taken the first few steps in this long process," he says. "Now we have to follow up on that to

work toward an agreement within a few years." Perhaps the main reason that brought Sarkissian to America was his deparfinent's involvement in a project thal once completed, will help children handicapped by the eartlquake to acquile computer skills without ever needing to touch a keyboard. The expert system used in this project

fi.nther research.

plans to give a presentation at a major symposium sponsored by Santa Cruz

spoken astrophysicist proceeds methodically

cooperation and student exchange progams with the University of [,ondon, Cambridge

from its sales, VAN plans to buy hardware and bring it back to Armenia to help support

who took a personal interest in the project to discuss the new lab's needs and to work on the details for its

preferably located in

we signed agreements for scientific

"Our association operates on principles of private enterprise," he states. "And we're looking for people with the expertise to help us break into this market or to form joint ventures with us." With ttre revenues

Mn. t ouise Simone, president of the AGBU,

results both inside and outside of academia. Sarkissian, 37, heads the newly-created division of Mattrematical Modeling in the Deptrnent of Thmretical Physics at Yerevan State University. He currently is visiting the United States to negotiate intercollegiate agrcements for his deparfnent, to secure support for a pioneering research lab, and to establish business contacts for a private cooperative formed by venturesome scientists. Describing his manifold activities, the soft-

and differential geometry. "Overthe winter,

of valuable contacts, particularly in Califomia-

continuous operation. "Our goal is to have a center

in Yerevan

with other labs to be

added later

Ieninakan, Kircvakan

and Stepanavan,

somethingpermaneng

something that will

benefit not just the

children but all handicapped persons in the long run." Tuming around in his chair, Sarkissian slides a disk in the

computer.

In a few

seconds a colorful silhouefte of an arrcient

Sarkissian: Using science as a sword of sorts

Armenian monastery materializes on the screen to the lively accompaniment of a computer-generated saber dance. Sarkissian explains that the progam is a recent addition to the vast repertoire of software packages developed by VAN, the scientific research and trade co.operative that was started by five market-

minded scientists like himseH. Although having its nucleus in Armenia ftre association boasts collaborators from universities in

AlM, September 1990

Operations in Califomia in August, where

most companies hunt for ideas with ttre intensity of major league scouts. "We can

talk all we want about freedom independence for Armenia," he says,

and

rolling

his chair back away from the computer. "But without viable economic ties with the outside world and much-needed scientific expertise for our survival, those sentiments can only remain a desire." I

ARE ARMENIAN SCHOOLS BETTER? By SAHAG TUTJIAN

By GAIDZER HOVASAPIAN

lementary and secondary private Armenian schools constitute a minimum counterweight designed to offset, as effectively as possible, the intensely centrifugal and disruptive forces tearing apart the inner fabric of our existence as a distinct ethnic group with strong national traits. These schools are known to perform as an extension of our homes in preserving certain healthy features of our national heriage such as industiousness, respect and adherence to traditional family ties to counter the epidemic incidence of divorce. Regardless ofhis many shortcomings, even the typical role model of the Armenian teacher as a manied person dedicated to his family and educational tasks, becomes a living behavioral example. Keeping alive our cultural heritage is essentially fortifying in our daily lives. It also enriches and invigorates the historic American experiment in its noblest sense. The multifarious manifestations of diverse traditions and cultures coexisting in the United States all converge in ensuring the dynamism of the country as a whole. Attending a private Armenian high school will undeniably enhance the Armenian student's sense of security and conftibute to the formation of his manhood prior to his plunge in the business world or into higher education. Moreover, along with other standard courses of study, he will gradually develop an appreciation and pnide of his roots of origin by geting acquainted witlt the achievements of his ancestors through lectures, discussions and seminars by resident faculry staff and specialized guest speakers of stature. Another major advantage in auending private schools is the higher quality of education in general. The student gets closer attention here. To graduate, he has to cover virtually all of the curriculum requirements, including the courses that call for relatively greater effort, while the latter category ofcourses can be usually bypassed in a public school without jeopardizing ttre graduation. Armed wittr a solid general education, an increasing number of bright gmduates from private Armenian high schools are successfi.tlly gaining admittance to many prestigious colleges and universities. To sustain this momentum of success, however, it is incumbent on overcome their shortcomings and attain the private schools

academic excellence by modemizing and adequately equipping ttreir teaching facilities, and to atffact better qualified teachers by raising their salaries and thus appreciating them in real terms.

Other benefis derived from attending private schools include freedom from chronic and serious problems such as drugs, alcohol andbrute violence which afflict,I amtold, about 80percentof those in public schools with all the consequences - something that is almost nonexistent in private Armenian schools. The mere fact of being private, automatically screens a school from many harmful influences which can be neuffalized before they have time to wreak havoc. There is indeed a very healthy and gratifying side to living with a constant challenge that keeps us alert and creative, as long as we don't succumb to narow provincialism and blind self-complacency in shallow shores and doldrums, thus becoming mere spectators of

the indomitable currents presently shaping the world. Provided, also, that we understand the true nature, dimensions and bearings of the living, buming issues of our destiny as Armenians, as Americans and as citizens 52

ofthe planet Earth.

aving attended American schools since my arrival in the United States at fhe age of nine, I am here to attest that I am no less an Armenian for having attended American schools, and, actually received a better education.

In the 1970's, the number of Armenian schools were few in number and the core education provided was suspect. The number of qualified teachers were few and those who were teaching did not all carry the proper certification and credentials. And since they did not fall under any public school jurisdiction, the qualifications or the lack thereof were not scrutinized. Basedon those factors, plus the fact that American schools provided the opportunity to meet and socialize wittr our peers of different nationalities, the chance to leam and grasp ttre English language at a quicker pace, the opporhrnity to use the vast resources the public school system offers and the chance to acclimate, understand and accept the dominant culture, immediately convinced my parents to send my sister, brother and me to the American schools. Thepublic American school begins with a standardized educational system which provides afoundation forthe necessary basic education needed for all pupils. It also provides a support system among schools and school systems to exchange information on research, etc. The American public schools also provide theirteachers with a higher salary base than do private schools. This in tun atfracts better qualified educators to teach our children. The Armenian schools on the ottrer hand stand alone. There is no standardized educational system for the Armenian schools nationwide. So, while many Armenian schools are receiving full accreditation from national educational organizations because of the dedication of Armenian parents, educators and administrators, others may not be due to a lack of possible foresight, funds or support. The history of Armenians has shown that we have always isolated and alienated ourselves from conquering regimes in order to protect and keep our culture, language and history. Fortunately, the United States is not a "conqueror" and we as a community should begin to understand that. If we cannot adapt to the dominant culture, we cannot flourish within that culture. There is a need to understand the social, political and economical "ins and outs" of this country. What beuer way ttran within the American school system. This fain of thought does not advocate abandoning the Armenian way of life, culture, language and history. It pus forth the idea of srengthening one's position and undentanding of America - our adopted country where we live , work and raise our families while still hanging on to the Armenian heritage. In comparing SAT scores of Armenian high school l2th grade graduates andpublic high school graduates, the public school students scored higher than the Armenian high school educated students. At this point in time, the American schools provide a higher 1990 standard of education (based on SAT scores of 1989 gmduates), an oppornrnity to get involved in exra cunicular activities (student-govemment, sports and club activities), ilre oppornrnity to mix with and understand peoples of many lands and culnres and hands- on experience on how tte American system works. This type of knowledge is the foundation of building strong citizens who can lead us into the 2lst Century in America while keeping the Armenian heritage intact.

AlM, September 1990

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